A Fast-Growing Vine You Should Reconsider Planting For Extra Privacy

Unless you live in a secluded area with your nearest neighbors a mile or more away, you've likely considered adding some extra privacy to your yard. Perhaps your neighbors spend a lot of time outside, and so do you. Maybe you get along, maybe you don't, but you likely prefer not feeling like you're under the watchful eye of others when you're enjoying a relaxing evening reading in your backyard oasis or hanging out with guests under your shaded pergola. To add natural privacy, consider planting vines that spread along fencing that lacks sufficient privacy, or use your pergola or porch to create a more enclosed space. Before you opt to plant some wild cucumber, which Wisconsin Horticulture describes as an excellent choice for covering pergolas, fences, and more, consider the problems this plant could bring.

Before using any plant in your yard, it's important to do some research to find out how quickly it grows, how easy it is to control, and if it's safe for your family and pets. While wild cucumber may grow fast and enjoy clinging to fences and walls, there are some negative aspects you should know about this plant.

Because wild cucumber can grow 25 feet throughout the season, it can quickly get out of hand, according to the Cowlitz County Noxious Weed Control Board. If you do choose to use this plant, you will need to keep up on pulling new shoots as they arise, or they could quickly take over trees and other areas of your yard. If you don't want to spend a lot of time pulling baby wild cucumber plants, this is not a good choice as a privacy cover.

Besides taking over your entire backyard in a couple of years, if you aren't taking care of all of those babies that sprout up, the fruits and seeds of the wild cucumber are toxic. If you have children or pets, this vine may be unsafe to use in an environment where they hang out. Though they may not be deadly, and some people may not react to them, Wisconsin Horticulture points out that they can cause sensations of burning to some people. If you don't have children or pets and don't mind the extra week to keep this vine under control, the pods this plant grows can be dried and used in crafts.