Is it okay to use copper pipe to support a wisteria?
Copper pipe is an excellent material for supporting a wisteria or any other vine. It's commonly used in a wide variety of garden structures, including arbours, obelisks, spirals, trellises and garden ornaments.
Copper has many benefits over other materials used in the garden. It's sturdy enough to hold up a heavy vine, but it's also fairly easy to work with. It can be bent into curves or cut-to-size and connected together with fittings readily available in your local hardware store. (One of the many reasons hardware stores are cool places to poke around in.)
Unlike many other materials used in garden construction, copper pipe doesn't rot or rust and requires virtually no maintenance. In fact, this highly decorative metal improves in character as it oxidizes, transforming over the years from garish orange to muted bronze and eventually to dusty green. Meanwhile, your wooden trellises will have decayed and been rebuilt several times.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
