Will English Ivy Cling To And Climb Upon Old Wood? - Knowledgebase Question

Benicia, CA
Avatar for kelly526
Question by kelly526
May 29, 2001
I have a VERY old but still functional wood shed in my yard which is sort of an eyesore. It would be too much work to sand and prime it for painting. I thought of planting English Ivy in hopes of it climbing up and clinging to the deteriorating wood, detracting from the shed's ugliness. Is it possible for the ivy to cling to and climb up old wood the way it does on masonry walls?


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Answer from NGA
May 29, 2001
English ivy will climb and cling to most any vertical surface. It spreads along the ground and climbs up trees, so it should attach itself to your shed without problem. English ivy can get out of hand, though, and creep into other parts of the garden, so keep a close eye on it. On the down side, the ivy will hold moisture against the wood, which might lead to wood rot, and will get quite heavy during rainfalls. As long as your shed structure is sound, the extra weight may not pose a problem. Hope this answers your question!

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