According to enthusiasts of climbers, these plants shield buildings from cold in winter, and overheating in summer. They also provide shelter for birds and insects and are a beautiful decoration, particularly in autumn. On the other hand, the opponents claim that climbers destroy elevation, and that the inhabiting insects infest houses.
"Indeed, the plants can create a heat-insulating layer, provided the building is in good shape" explains Marta Weber-Siwirska, PhD, Eng., assisting professor at Instytut Architektury Krajobrazu [Landscaping Institute] of the Pedagogical University. However, she points out to a basic difference between ivy and Virginia Creeper. "Ivy doesn't shed leaves for winter and remains green, whereas Virginia Creeper changes its leaf colour to red in autumn, and later sheds them" she explains. Hence, the most commonly spotted climber in Wrocław is Virginia Creeper, now particularly enchanting with its red leaves. However, the plant that is more dangerous for buildings is ivy, as it can cause damages in elevation. On the other hand, Virginia Creeper grows faster. "With favourable conditions, a record growth can amount to 4 metres, and ivy grows by 0.5 meter a year" adds Marta Weber-Siwirska. The most popular climber-covered building in Wrocław is the local seat of the National Museum, where Virginia Creeper reaches up to the roof and catches the eye not only in autumn. On the other side of the street is yet another building covered in climbers, the seat of the Lower Silesia Voyvodship Office. Though not as impressive as on the museum, the plant reaches the second floor windows. When strolling around Wrocław, it's worth to notice the pre-WW II tenement houses. Our attention was particularly captured by buildings on the corner of Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego and ul. Smoluchowskiego, where robust plants climb up to the very roof. Ivy boldly climbs up also in tenement house courtyards. At pl. Solny 14 the top leaves reach the third floor already. This is what the view from our office windows is like. Also the courtyard walls of the Ossolineum slowly grow greener owing to climbers. By now, the plants have covered half of the elevation. By far the tallest Wrocław construction overgrown with green in the colonnade in front of Wytwórnia Filmów Fabularnych [the Feature Films Studio]. A little further away, the pergola - as the name suggests - provides by-passers with shade also owing to plants which effectively grow on the sides of the Centennial Hall.
