Monday 27 July 2015

The Parthenocissus, A Casualty Of The Heavy Rain And Strong Winds


A Piece Is Missing

The team returned from the weekend to find a large piece of Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Virginia Creeper, that adorns the facade of the 18th century buildings of the quad had fallen off.

The Fallen Parthenocissus

Catastrophic Failure 1

Upon closer inspection the reason for the detachment from the building was clear to see, a catastrophic failure. The reason for this failure, it is believed, was the result of two days of heavy rain, Friday and Sunday, that fell over Oxford as well as the strong winds. Two large stems, held on to the facade by just the plant's disc like suckers, snapped under the torrent of water and were unable to stay attached. 

Catastrophic Failure 2

The Broken Pieces Removed

Sadly the damaged stems had to be removed and have now left a large gap where they once clung. It is hoped that this vigorous climber will not take too long to fill in the gap and cover the ledge again.

The Empty Ledge

The New View

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