Question
Hi Dave,

There's an 11-ft-tall gumbolimbo in my backyard. If I plant a flowering vine beside it to climb up the gumbolimbo would it hurt the tree? Which would be the best way to go about it?

Thanks in advance,

Richad

Answer
Dear Richard,

Howdy from "Coach Dave", I work for The Home Depot. Trees, Shrubs, and Vines are my specialty.
The Gumbo-limbo (Bursera simaruba) tree is great for creating a natural fence between neighbors. You can even generate more trees by using new growth branches from the original tree. Like Plumeria they create new root systems.

To answer your question about having a flowering vine climb it, the answer is: Yes.
Vines climbing up a tree happens in nature all the time.  The only thing that would be an issue is the vine would not get enough sunlight to make it bloom fully.  

Getting the vine to climb should be easy enough if you plan it out. One thing to remember is that not all vines can climb. So you might have to use some staples, nails, or twine to help the vines get established.

A last tip, if you change you mind about your project, simply chop off most of the vine and replant.

Yours Respectfully,

Coach Dave