I'm not in Dallas, but some years ago I planted creeping fig on a brick wall of my house in San Antonio. It quickly reached the top and was embedding its tendrils into the wood overhang. I spent a lot of time on top of a ladder trying to keep it pulled away from the wood. Finally seeing the futility of trying to keep it under control I removed it, which was not an easy job. It's been called a Jumanji vine ... LOL Remember that movie? Once you roll the dice and plant it you have to play out the game to its end. Read more about it here.

Others may have a more positive view ... :-)

As for how to treat "boring brick" hopefull there will be offers of advice on how to address that if you decide not to use creeping fig. For instance, there's a house in my neighborhood that has a boring rock wall with no windows all across the front of their house. They hang three big baskets of fern from the eaves. It's gorgous!

I really hate creeping fig. Something about how it just sticks so tightly to whatever gives me the creeps (no pun intended). I have seen things grown on a trellis that is positioned several inches away from the wall. That could be a possibility if you can figure out how to install it.

Thanks for the feedback! I won't do it, no matter how tempted I may be. Won't give in.

Fig ivy, native to tropical East Asia, has a very unusual habit of growth. The small leaves that we are familiar with as it sticks to brick and wood are it's juvenile stage. When it is several years old it sends out horizonal branches and exhibits its mature growth with big unlobed leaves and a large bushy form. That's when it produces its fruit, the figs, which are not edible. You would not think it could be the same plant.

This can be seen at the circular entrance to the several greenhouses at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens. They have let the vine cover the high walls (12 to 14 ft is my guess, maybe more) and they have let the mature form bush out at the top. When I'm out there again I'll try to get pictures.

More about creeping fig ivy here.

You can't see it in the pics but tiny little black dots (tressils I guess. I call them suckers) are forever stuck to the house. Bleaching took the mildew off but because there are so many suckers the house still looks dirty. Not to mention all of the places the vine crept into the wood. Not really sure just how much damage yet. Don't do it!!! It's taking forever to get rid of it! I keep finding new growth!

Anything on the house or close to the house is a no no.

Along with the "pest prevention" services we recommend to all our customers and potential customers 12" to 18" away from the house with any vegetation any closer and you are inviting an infestation.

Wow, thanks everyone for great feedback. And sandra, thanks for the pictures. Really helpful.

Plants growing on homes and buildings bring three very bad things for the structure: roots, moisture,and insects. None of those are good for your house. It looks beautiful - sometimes, simply stunning - but the trade-off is not worth it. I would never plant anything directly onto my house. Just my two cents.
Carol in Jacksonville

I went to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens today and looked for the creeping fig, but it was no longer where they had it years ago.

They did have it near by. Some young vines are growing on the wall where they have the orchids and bromiliads. It looks very pretty like this. Variegated ivy is growing with it. I'll be watching to see how they handle it as it gets to the top of the wall.

Maybe they pull it down on occasion and let it start up again. From the looks of the wall that may be the case.

We had creeping fig on our house in Ca and LOvED it! It is gorgeous and super easy to maintain. If it gets to crazy you just cut it back and thin it out with a hedge trimmer. We used a hedge trimmer Once a month or so, to cut the thickness down, but still let it climb as far as needed. We pulled it off the second story and it didn't do any damage.

I am am looking to plant it again I loved it so much, just wasn't sure it would do good in Texas, but it appears that it does. I will be using it to cover the fence around our pool this time around. It grows incredibly fast! Which I love. I think coverage for a brick wall is perfect! I would totally do it! Just keep it off of your eaves, because it will climb under your roof. If you have a gardener or you are able to maintain it yourself then I would totally go for it!

And if it means anything the photo of the house pictured, I think it looked incredible with the Vine's and just average without it. I would have left them and just kept them trimmed. We never had a problem with animals and bugs in ours. The creeping fig never attracted any bugs.