Boston ivy a good idea?

[FreudianLisp]

I live in a crazy old red-brick cottage. At one end we've got a very ordinary (and annoyingly rampant) ivy growing up the building. I wondered about replacing it with Boston ivy - much more attractive, surely? I just wondered:-

(i) Is Boston ivy easy to get growing?
(ii) Will it damage the brickwork? The house is listed so we can't do anything to damage it.
(iii) Will it look stupid against red brick?

Thanks for any replies!

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Advice from the RHS here

[FellatioNelson]

Boston Ivy is a self-clinging climber much like normal ivy so if you have very soft lime mortar it may not be the best idea, although I agree it is divine. If you go for Virginia Creeper, which is a similar cousin of Boston Ivy and will give the same autumn colour, but it looks a bit more ramshackle and informal it would be a better option - for the brickwork at least. It needs support from wires so it leans on your brickwork but does not sucker to it! Hope that helps.

[FreudianLisp]

Thank you both! Advice noted and appreciated. Maybe virginia creeper is the way forward. Am not looking forward to removing a three-storey ivy though...

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Have you looked at Chinese Virginia creeper?. It's a prettier plant and, as it's not quite so rampant, easier to control.