Climbing Plants: Green Walls, Trellises & Arbors
Climbing plants – a green transformation for walls & fences
Climbing plants think vertically. Where there's no room for beds, they create maximum greenery with minimal footprint – and with it, cooling, food for insects, and privacy.
Climbing plants by climbing type
Self-clinging species (need no climbing aid):
- Ivy – evergreen, very robust, shade plant
- Virginia creeper (Boston ivy) – spectacular autumn colors, grows very fast
- Climbing hydrangea – slow to start, then gloriously white-flowering
Twining/tendril species (need a trellis, ropes, poles):
- Clematis – the queen of climbing plants, huge variety of cultivars
- Roses (climbing roses) – romantic, fragrant, requires maintenance
- Wisteria – breathtaking, but patience required (doesn't bloom until 3–5 years)
- Honeysuckle (Lonicera) – fragrant, bee-friendly
Annual climbers (fast, cheap from seed):
- Ornamental gourds – colorful and decorative, but not for the kitchen (they can contain bitter cucurbitacin)
- Runner beans – both useful and decorative (red flowers, and beans you can eat – but only cooked; raw they are toxic because of phasin)
- Nasturtium – edible, flowers and leaves, very robust
Building trellises & structures yourself
Simplest method: stretch steel cables (5–8 mm) horizontally on the wall, 30–40 cm apart – most climbing plants will climb them.
Wooden trellis: slats in a diamond pattern, mounted on the wall – timelessly beautiful, about 10 years of durability.
Pergola: freestanding or against the house wall, for vigorously growing species like wisteria, hops, grapevine.
Shading an arbor or seating area
Fast-growing shade providers:
- Hops (up to 6 m/year!) – quickly casts dense shade
- Kiwi – edible privacy screen, requires planting both sexes
- Grapevine – elegant, light-permeable shade, with grapes as a bonus
Care
- Guide young plants to the trellis and tie them loosely
- Annual pruning keeps the plant in shape and promotes flowering
- Regularly keep self-clinging species like Virginia creeper away from gutters and window frames