Fallopia baldschuanica

This is a rampant and potentially vast climber, useful if you have a few acres of wall to cover! It looks good on a tree, large and sturdy enough to take it, but is wildly unsuitable for small gardens. It should really be sold with a machete. Russian vine has small green leaves and quite pretty frothy white flower plumes, on reddish stalks. It grows at the rate of a foot or so a day and intrudes itself everywhere. This climber must be used with care, it comes into its own in large scale landscaping and has been used to great effect on some of the screen fencing round London Heathrow Airport where it has colonised by the mile. It is one of those plants where you should stop and think, before introducing it to the suburban patio! It does provide excellent nesting cover for birds.