Not only façades, but also interior walls can be greened! This can be done with or without climbing aids. Sometimes ‘living walls’ with accompanying lighting are also installed…
Our topic is ‘facade greening’, a specialised area of “greening”. In this sense, we are again focusing exclusively on green walls, surfaces, objects, etc., in indoor spaces. Such indoor greening should, of course, be green in both summer and winter, i.e. ‘evergreen’.
Light is the be-all and end-all in these projects! Most climbing and hanging plants need it to thrive and therefore prefer to grow near windows or where there is plenty of artificial light. Unfortunately, locations are often still considered ‘bright’ even when they are actually too dark. This makes indoor greening problematic...
The plants recommended here are robust and resistant to pests. But the famous ‘trappings’ must be right and should be studied elsewhere, i.e. not on our homepage: temperatures, pot sizes, substrates, watering, drainage, fertilising, spraying... In addition, the leaves of indoor plants are never wet or washed by dew or rain! It may therefore be necessary to dust them, which is something to consider with taller plants.
Self-climbing plants with adhesive roots or adhesive feet, such as the climbing fig (Ficus repens), are an inexpensive way to green rough walls, e.g. exposed, unplastered brick walls in a café or similar. On light-coloured, smooth walls, however, trellises are preferred for aesthetic reasons, on which the climbing plants can then grow or be tied. Delicate wire ropes are particularly suitable for this purpose. The ‘Light’ and ‘Premium’ series from the FassadenGrün range are ideal for this purpose because their holders have a smooth shaft and look more elegant than holders with a threaded shaft.
Stem Tendril Climbers such as the chestnut vine (Tetrastigma voinierianum) with its massive leaves, the star jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda) and the somewhat slower-growing wax flowers (Hoya) are particularly suitable for indoor greening. All three grow several metres high.
Indoor ivy (Hedera helix) and – for bright locations – king's vine (Cissus alata or C. rhombifolia) or king's vine “Ellen Danica” (see below) can also be trained upwards or sideways using ropes. However, these plants normally only reach a shoot length of around 2 metres and also grow much more slowly.
Epipremnum aureum and, in a really bright location, even Philodendron scandens can also be used, although we do not have any pictures of this. Indoor greening with all of the plants mentioned above is perennial and therefore sustainable. You can experiment with other species, but the joy often only lasts for one summer because the species do not survive the winter. But does everything have to be for eternity?
Living walls are also suitable for indoor spaces, but usually only with strong lighting that imitates daylight. Cutting corners here is guaranteed to backfire!
An inexpensive alternative to living walls and vertical gardens are artificial plants or moss walls. The latter are made of real moss and, in addition to their aesthetic effect, can also absorb sound. Concerns that a moss wall will become a dust trap are rather unfounded due to its antistatic properties. Yes, there have been experiments with living moss, but due to the extremely high maintenance costs, this has not proven successful for interior greening. The market is dominated by ‘preserved’, ‘stabilised’ moss, which is ultimately dead and mummified. The amount of light is no longer an issue here, as such moss walls fit well in dark areas.
Many climbing plants can also grow hanging, both outdoors and indoors. They are often cultivated in a freely hanging ‘hanging basket’. Such ‘hanging plants’ are interesting for indoor façade greening because they can also be used to cover walls, objects or other surfaces.
By far the most uncomplicated plants here are the many varieties of golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum). They thrive in normally lit or slightly darker rooms and can also tolerate irregularities or gaps in watering. The tree friend (Philodendron) is somewhat more demanding in terms of light and watering.
The king vine (Cissus rhombifolia) is more delicate and needs a really bright spot near a window (see above). The Danish cultivar “Ellen Danica” tolerates slightly less light.
The sugar grapevine (Cissus striata) is particularly delicate and therefore valuable. And if you love something special, you can experiment with wire vine (Muehlenbeckia axillaris or M. complexa). These species require a bright location with a balanced water supply.
Indoor ivy (Hedera) is said to be easy to care for, but our team cannot confirm this. The plants always die after a while, probably due to dry air, heat, too much air movement or whatever...
Greenhouses have particularly bright light. Many plants thrive in this environment because it closely resembles outdoor conditions. On the other hand, greenhouses often become very warm, if not hot, and therefore need to be ventilated. If they are also heated strongly in winter, tropical vegetation can be cultivated. The humidity must also be kept high, e.g. by spraying mist, etc. All the butterfly houses and tropical houses in botanical and zoological gardens (zoos) follow this principle and attract millions of visitors every year.
Tropical climbing plants also thrive in such an environment! With some restrictions, this also applies to a glazed and permanently heated entrance hall, a glazed atrium or a veranda on a house. The higher the temperatures are in winter, the more ‘tropical’ the environment becomes, but this is of course a cost factor. If temperatures drop to 5–15 degrees in winter, many tropical plants will no longer thrive...
In glasshouses WITHOUT heating, known as “cold frames”, grapevines can be cultivated. More photos on this topic can be found under greenhouse vines. This principle also works in a glazed, unheated veranda.
Fassadengrün is a commercial supplier of stainless steel wire rope systems in Germany, Europe and overseas. Information about: Which plants are suitable, are climbing aids necessary, should they be made of wood or metal? Here at FassadenGrün you will find all the information you need from a single source.
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