Carefully chosen climbing plants can make a spectacular addition to your home garden!

Climbing plants are like no other, they can provide more greenery and more flowers in a small garden, that any other plant, or group of plants. Because they grow upwards, they are very good in limited areas, and narrow walkways that are difficult to landscape.

They can be used as shade, to shelter a room or patio from wind and sun. They can also be grown in an hanging basket. They are great for covering a fence, and some can produce fruit, and some can produce beautiful flowers. Their usefulness is unlimited.

There are ornamental grapes, wisteria and climbing roses. There are jasmine, kiwi fruit, and passion-fruit. Some people plant thorny berry fruits to cover a fence where unwelcome and unannounced visitors may arrive. And best of all the birds love them. Climbing plants provide food and shelter, and convenient nesting areas.

Climbing plant stems move in either a clockwise of anti-clockwise direction, and spiral around the support. A large climber like a wisteria can choke its support, if the support is another plant. They are good on wire-netting fences, and can be identified in a nursery by the way the twine around the support in the pot. Some introduced climbers, particularly the vigorous large leafed ones, can pull down a large tree.

Other plants cling by using aerial roots. These are best the most well known climber with aerial roots is the English ivy. on walls and flat surfaces. Many climbers are used in houses and offices as indoor plants.

Click here for great Garden Gifts!

Tendrils are used by some plants to climb upwards. Passion-fruit and grape vines have tendrils, which climb upwards even into the air, until they fall over, and attach themselves to something, and away they go again! If growing a tendril plant over a pergola or similar structure, you will need to provide wires over the roof, so the climbing plant can spread out and cover the top of the pergola.

Some plants use hooks, or thorns, and are not the best in a garden situation. These plants include calamus, the climbing cane, and similar rainforest type ‘wait-a-while’ plants. They do however include bougainvillea and climbing roses, all of which are popular garden climbers. Birds also love to nest in plants with prickles, because it provides security from cats and other predators.

Even with diligent care, most climbers will need at least two seasons to develop into large and effective screeners or shelters. If planting on a dividing or boundary fence, you will need to ensure yo do not plant wisterias, honeysuckle or similar plants which will layer and cause problems with the neighbors. Its best to plant evergreens, unless you live in an temperate area where you will need an open canopy to catch the winter sun.

If growing ivy or a similar plant on a wall, you may need to clip them to keep them under control. For trellises the dwarf bougainvilleas are great, as is the orange trumpet creeper. Don’t forget jasmine and hoyas.

For walls, Boston Ivy, Chinese Trumpet, English Ivy, and Climbing Figs.

For trellis or fences, try Coral Vine, Climbing Roses, Jasmine, Clematis, Bougainvillea, Orange Trumpet, and Allamanda. For deciduous pergolas and archways, Grape, Wisteria, and Kiwifruit.

For evergreen pergola plants, Bougainvillea, Honeysuckle, Trumpet Creeper, Potato Vine, Climbing Roses, and Ivys.

Vines and ivys grow well from cuttings just placed in water. Just cut off a 5 inch section which includes anode or two.

Don’t forget the colors. All the colors of the rainbow are in the climbing plant flowers. You can easily pick a color that suits the house, or house surrounds.

*When fully grown, the philodendron on the right is easily capable of pulling down the tree it is growing up*

Climbing vegetables can fill out a vacant corner anywhere. In the vegetable garden, climbing beans and peas, small pumpkins, chokos, and cucumbers will climb up any fence or wall.

Then there are blackberry, passion-fruit, grapes and many other fruit bearing climbers.

When choosing climbers, please remember that many introduced climbers have become rampant weeds, because they have no natural enemies in another country. Ensure that you buy from a reputable registered nursery, where they are aware of the introduced climbing weed problem.

Vines grow quickly and easily if carefully chosen for a particular setting. Because there are so many varieties, it is easy to find the perfect vine.

Happy gardening, Patrick!

Get FREE Books, Subscribe to our Herb and Garden Newsletter Now!