Japanese Creeper Parthenocissus tricuspidata Note: related to Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefoia, not an ivy Hedera!
if you were buying a house, and you saw something like the one above with the boston ivy, would it deter you from buying?
Do the roots not affect the masonry? It seems that the mortar would be susceptible to decay and crumbling. I admit to having no actual knowledge on the subject, only suspicion. Bulucanagria
i have no idea either, we have a red brick house, much smaller than the one in the picture, and it's rather plain looking at the front, i've always loved the old english look so wanted to incorporate a beautiful climber that would look good against the red brick, but im worried if it lowers the buying power of the house in 10-15 yrs time
That's very idiosyncratic. I couldn't sell my previous home because of the Xeriscaped yard. Many people only want what they are most familiar with. YMMV.
Boston ivy and Virginia creeper are vigorous grape relations growing quite large in time. Structures they have been let loose on become coated with a network of clinging stems. The leaves turn bright colors in fall and drop, leaving the surface to look at though covered in roots during the winter. Anything less monumental and permanent than a university hall or manorial house is liable to be overwhelmed, even damaged.
Read recently about how 'ivy league' universities spend big bucks to remove ivy from their buildings, due to the ill effects on brick mortar. Some alumni object to this procedure...but daresay they'd object even more strongly to having to foot the bill for new buildings! Snazzy car in photo!