In the Southeast we have a perennial vine called Smilax. It is a good climber, does not damage walls, and the local women's clubs always use it for decorating the antebellum houses for Christmas. However, local insurance companies and the Forestry service are discouraging people from planting vines against buildings because they are a fire hazard. For sure, I once had a flare-up with my flame weed eater. I was trying to kill some ivy groundcover which was also growing up a nearby tree. In minutes the whole 200 ft tree was aflame. Ivy is not a fire resistant plant. Im sure annual vines in a tended area which has water would be less of a hazaard.
