Seven Favorite Climbing Plants

Beautiful Wisteria

Climbing plants are a great element to include in a landscape design. They can be trained to climb a variety of structures such as trellises, arbors and pergolas, decks, railings, and more. Here are seven favorite climbing plants we love for both their flowers and their foliage effects.

Use them to disguise an unattractive fence, to ramble over stone walls, to give fall color and to create shade as they climb over an arbor. Climbing plants and vines can be strategically placed throughout the garden to provide privacy. Best of all, climbing plants draw the eye upward, adding a vertical third dimension of height to what is essentially a horizontal landscape.

Their success in providing that vertical element is achieved in a variety of ways. Some vines have twisting stems, others use tendrils that cling and some even grow tiny roots, called adventitious roots on their stems. Clematis have twining leaf stems, while honeysuckles use their entire stem to twine their way upward. Ivies use adventitious roots, while Virginia creepers  have adhesive pads at the end of tendrils. Sweetpeas have tendrils that cling and wrap around supports.

All climbers need some type of support. In the wild, they use trees, shrubs, and even other climbers. In the garden, you can supply the support by way of netting, trellises, pillars, fencing, posts and canes, as well as other plants. Whatever you use, your climbers will take advantage of it to make their way upwards towards the sun.

Fast Growing Climbers

Are you looking for some fast growing climbers for an ugly wall, a new arbor or a rock wall?  Here are a couple of climbers so vigorous they tend to swamp everything very quickly. The glory vine (Eccremocarpus scaber) from Chile is one of these. It will smother a wall and trellis with foliage and bright orange-red flowers, followed by balloon like pods. Another is the coral vine (Antigonon letptopus). which is very effective over an arbor. It has pretty strings of pink flowers.

The Most Common Climbers

The most popular vine would have to be one of the clematis varieties. They look terrific in spring, when they’re in full bloom, with blossoms varying from snow white through pink, blue and purple. The Montana types are superb climbers, using twining stems to make their way upward. They form woody stems that give a permanent and secure support. An annual shearing after blossoming keeps them within limits.

Clematis

Some of the large-flowered clematis can have flowers as big as dinner plates – a spectacular feature in the garden. Clematis is generally easy to grow. It prefers shade on its feet and sun on its vines. While this may sound complicated, it’s easier to accomplish than you might think. Simply plant your clematis in a sunny location, and then plant a small shrub at its base to provide the needed shade on the lower part of the clematis. Because of the many types of clematis, do your research before buying these.

Another elegant climber is the honeysuckle. These have unusual-shaped flowers, many with a lovely scent. The flowers are tubular, long and thin, and borne in groups of pairs, and hummingbirds are frequent visitors. The clusters of red berries in the fall are appreciated by birds. Honeysuckles are easy to grow in most soils, with good drainage. They can reach up to 30 feet with sufficient support. Like their native varieties, they do well in shady gardens, as well as spots with more sun.

Wisteria is a beautiful flowering vine that grows rapidly in the sun. If you live in a climate that experiences winter, wisteria is a good choice, as it’s hardy up to Zones 4 or 5. Wisteria will need a strong supporting structure.  Because of its rapid growth, size, and weight, you’ll want to be sure to plant it somewhere where it won’t do any damage to your home or property. Large wisteria vines, when left unchecked, can easily collapse a deck or other structure.

The common trumpet vine is a rapid grower and prefers a sunny location. Trumpet vines will produce beautiful, showy flowers in midsummer, with colors varying from scarlet or orange to yellow. They cling to their supporting structures with root-like attachments. It’s important to provide good support for trumpet vines when they are first getting started, as they can grow quite large and heavy over time.

Ivy on Fence

Many of us have seen buildings that are partially obscured by ivy. There are several different types of ivy, but all are fast growers and will cling easily to walls and stone work. Take care when planting ivy, however, as it may damage the structures that support it with it adventitious roots. These can ruin masonry, especially when the vines are removed. Ivy is also very dense, which means it will cast shade on the building’s walls. On siding or shingles, this may cause mold growth.

These are just a few of the popular climbing plants that can be found in your local nursery. Don’t limit yourself to these, but consider them just as a starting point. Whatever climbers you choose, be sure to plant them in an appropriate location and provide plenty of good support. They will reward you over time by becoming a beautiful focal point in your garden.