‘Self-climbers’ are climbing plants that are capable of climbing walls without assistance due to their growth type. Their vitality is invaluable, and they usually cope well even with heat and drought. However, they often need a ‘climbing aid’, especially to secure the structure of their trunk.
‘Self-climbers’ climb by themselves using adhesive roots or adhesive discs, and their adhesive strength can vary depending on the species and surface. Looking at all of the following pictures, it should be clear that self-climbers should only be placed on completely intact facades, because otherwise they will tear off the plaster and cause structural damage!
Self-climbers initially develop an irrational line pattern. Although each of the species in question has its own and therefore reasonably predictable growth pattern, nothing is really predictable in this field. This is inspiring for nature lovers, but often disturbing for architects. This is especially true since the wall vegetation then almost inevitably leads to complete greening, i.e. a ‘green fur’ that covers everything: windows, ventilation openings, downpipes, etc. Depending on the plant species, wall size and planting density, this state is reached after 5 to 20 years.
However, pruning and growth restriction can be used to influence the design and work towards partial greening (see below).
When using self-climbing plants, their appearance in winter also plays a role. ‘Winter’ here lasts 5-6 months, which is almost half the year! With all of these climbing plants except ivy, branches, twigs and adhesive organs become visible after the leaves have fallen, which does not exactly enhance the appearance of the façade.
Has anyone claimed that ‘modern construction’ and ‘self-climbing plants’ are mutually exclusive? If so, here is the first counterexample: a new building by architect Jörg Weber with first-class façade greening, thanks to ivy and wild vine. The multi-storey ‘family hotel’ with the “Gretchens” café, built almost entirely of wood and awarded a prize for its design, has stood in the centre of Weimar since 2012, very close to the ‘Goethehaus’ and bordering the Seifengasse, which is only 3 metres wide.
It took several years for the façade to become overgrown. At first, only light-coloured plaster and the protruding window frames made of Corten steel were visible. The flower boxes integrated into the windows added accents until the self-climbing plants coming up from the ground conquered the façade.
Ingeniously, different species were combined, namely ivy (Hedera helix) and a wild vine or a dark, large-leaved type of ornamental vine ‘Veitchii’ (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), which also forms many tendrils of very small leaves. This guarantees a varied foliage wall. The ivy remains green throughout the winter, while the wild vine turns its leaves red in autumn, providing an additional display of colour lasting several weeks.
Somehow it looks strange in this picture, doesn't it? At least, not how it should look. Was it poor planning? Perhaps. But it's also possible that the greenery developed quite differently than expected.
But what exactly can we see here? A large planter mounted on a wall, with vertical, parallel tension cables above it. A ‘self-climber’ is growing out of one corner of the planter and making its own way up the wall. It is probably a decorative vine called ‘Engelmannii’ (Parthenocissus quinqefolia “Engelmannii”). But the plant and the tension cables have nothing to do with each other; the cables are useless as a climbing aid and too close together to serve as a fall protection.
What makes self-climbing plants special? They are used as inexpensive and easy-care greenery, often also as graffiti protection or for masts. What types are there?
The best-known self-climber is ivy, which is even evergreen. However, its mature form, “Arborescens”, which usually forms on façades, can protrude far out, making ivy particularly susceptible to storm damage. You should also expect “loopholes”, i.e. very limited visibility from windows, with this plant.
Next comes the boston ivy ‘Veitchii’ along with some very similar varieties. It is the most commonly used façade plant in Germany and adheres best in the initial phase.
Next is the engelmann ivy, which also adheres very well in the initial phase and is hardly susceptible to storm damage. Why? Because this variety forms adhesive discs AND adhesive roots (see photo above), the latter also from the old thick wood, and can therefore cling particularly well to the wall. Particularly striking and a real ‘beast’ in this regard is the variety ‘Saint Paulii’ (Parthenocissus quinqefolia “Saint Paulii”), which is currently not commercially available (see also Harri Günther, ‘Gehölze in den Gärten von Sanssouci’ [Woody Plants in the Gardens of Sanssouci], 1984). It is probably the most securely clinging self-climber!
After Engelmannii comes the virginia creeper, which does not cling very well without support, but grows quickly and very tall. All of these plants are vigorous and fast-growing in good soil and do not require automatic watering. And all except ivy have decorative red autumn colours.
The water-loving climbing hydrangea is also of some importance. However, as it ages, it grows in a similar way to ivy and is therefore susceptible to storm damage, so it needs a climbing aid (fall protection). The same applies to the climbing trumpet vine. The rather weak-growing winter creeper is particularly interesting for base areas, and the annual cathedral bells are mentioned more for the sake of completeness. For warm areas such as southern Germany, star jasmine is also worth mentioning.
After initial uncontrolled growth, the first step towards ‘facade design’ is often to cut back the vegetation around windows, which is then done regularly, 2-3 times a year depending on the type of plant, often by the residents or users themselves, i.e. from the inside through the windows.
The height of the vegetation is also often limited, usually by cutting it once a year. In the case of public buildings, this is sometimes done by the local fire brigade, which can use the opportunity to ‘practise’ for other high-altitude operations, thereby offsetting the costs of such an operation. At the latest when the vegetation reaches the roof, annual cutting is necessary, otherwise there is a risk of structural damage.
Self-climbing plants usually do not need any ‘climbing aids’ during the growth phase, but a pressing or weaving aid can be useful. Fixing points made of hard beeswax modelling clay (e.g. from the company ‘Stockmar’) are suitable as an initial starting aid. Adhesive discs are usually only formed once during the growth of a young shoot and often break off when the shoot grows thicker, so that plants climbing without adhesive roots are then only connected to the wall by the very young shoots.
Storms and wet conditions (weight load) can cause the wall vegetation to peel off like a mat, even in the case of plants that climb with adhesive roots. Ropes can also prevent this, and can be added later if necessary. However, once plant mats have fallen off, it is not possible to reattach them to the wall in their original size, if only because of their heavy weight. In such cases, the plants must be cut back severely. Each plant portrait that you can click on above has an overview in which the more or less suitable rope systems are marked in colour.
Wire rope systems with medium to large 'meshes,' i.e. 1m x 1m, are suitable for the starting phase as a pressing aid. Single transverse or vertical ropes, which are often attached later, are sufficient as fall protection. Optimal wire rope systems are the 8000 and 9000 series, which fulfill both functions. Often an easy construction design suffices; for larger fields, medium, or even heavy systems are better.
Wire rope systems that are finely 'meshed' and therefore more expensive, are only suitable in certain conditions. They are, however, sometimes used as a braiding aid, e.g., on carports or when self-climbers do not want to stick to the wall. Systems that are too low or too high, which then do not harmonise with the growth height of the climbing plant, are also not optimal.
Wire rope arrangements with only short wire rope lengths are usually not suitable. With cables that are too short, the plant will not be able to cope with the plant's growth, except perhaps with potted plants. Finely meshed cable system (those with multiple ropes arranged closely together) are not necessary and are too expensive.
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.
© 2000–2025 Fassadengruen.de
