Last Updated on October 31, 2021 by Phil
Do you have walls, fences, pergolas or trellises in your garden?
If you do, here are the best climbing plants to grow on them.
Many gardeners aren’t fans of vines, creepers and a few other varieties because they can be invasive.
But, if you choose wisely, or put them in the right locations, you’ll not only avoid this problem but also make your garden more beautiful.
So, if you’re looking for climbers that fit this bill, check them out below.
18 Best Climbing Plants for Trellises, Fences, Pergolas and Walls
Rose
Roses are known for their beauty, lovely colors and scent. They’re likewise able to instantly make any situation more romantic.
What many people don’t often think about roses aren’t grown the way they seen them. That is in three’s or a bunch of 6 or 12’s.
In the garden, you’ll see roses grown in so many different ways.
But, there are a group of climbing roses that are perfect for fences as well as trellises.
That’s because they can quickly liven up your garden.
Among these are the:
- American beauty
- Dublin bay
- Fourth of July
- Iceberg
- Royal Sunset
- Westerland
Climbing Hydrangea
Much like roses, there’s a group of hydrangeas that are climbers. This makes them very adept at growing on structures and walls.
And, like some of the other plants of this list, it can grow fairly large. At times up to 50 feet high or more.
Climbing hydrangeas are just as beautiful as other varieties.
They’re blooms come in white, blue, purple and pink colors. And, will show up during the summer and spring times.
Wisteria
Wisteria is a beautiful climbing plant that has a lovely fragrance to match its looks.
It’s blue, purple and white colors bloom during the spring. And, you’ll often find it in zones 4 to 9.
It’s important to note that it’s a fairly quick grower.
So, you’ll either need a large pergola or other structure to keep it on. Or, regularly prune it to keep it from overgrowing its space.
Bougainvillea
Should you want something just as beautiful but brighter in color, then the Bougainvillea is worth a long, hard look.
This is another wonderful flowering climber that stands out when grown in trellises and fences.
However, you can also use it wide coverage for borders and edging, be it as a bush or edge.
Bougainvillea are perfect if you have shaded areas where some plants refuse to grow properly.
They’ll cover that space and make it a look amazing.
Mandevilla
While hydrangeas and bougainvillea can grow in shaded areas, the mandevilla are sun lovers.
As such, they’re better positions on pergolas and other structures that are in open spaces.
This allows them to soak in the bright light for hours daily.
The mandevilla is a great option if you want to spruce up your deck, patio or balcony with color.
It does grow quite a bit, so you’ll want to have some kind of vertical setup that will allow it grow and show it’s lovely blooms.
Grape Vine
You’ve probably seen a lot of this vine in movies, especially in the vineyard scenes.
But, when planting them in your garden, you probably won’t have long rows of them that cover an entire field.
That said, grape vines are lovely to look at.
More importantly, they produce grape. This lets you grow them for fruit, juice or making wine.
Do note that not all varieties can be used to make wine. So, it’s a good idea to research them beforehand.
These vines like full sun. As such, they’re often grown in zones 2 through 10.
Flowering Maple
Flowering maple are well-known for their unique look. They are very fast growers. This is especially true for those that have smaller flowers.
However, there are many varieties available. Some have bigger flowers, others have smaller ones.
So, it’s up to you to choose which ones you like most.
Flowering maple like partial shade. Plus, they’re easy to grow. This makes them something home gardeners like.
Better yet, the let you see the fruit of your labor fairly quickly.
The don’t take a lot of time to grow. And, once they do, their blooms stay on through warm weather.
This makes them a great choice for patios, porches, decks and other outdoor spaces.
Passion Flower
You’ve probably heard of passion flowers before.
But, in all likelihood not for it’s beauty or fragrance.
Instead, it’s either because you’re familiar with the fruit. Or, you know of the diet supplement.
That said, passion flowers are a wonderful vine.
They thrive on different light conditions ranging from full sun to partial shade.
Plus, they have than tropical plant look even if they’re not. This makes them easier to grow anywhere. In fact, if you live in zones 5 through 12, you’ll easily be able to enjoy them in your garden.
Clematis
The clematis is one of the most popular vines around.
That’s because of their lovely flowers that are beautiful to look at.
Better yet, there are so many varieties, colors and forms that you can decide which one you like the most.
But, because of that, the species you get also affects how you care for it.
In general, clematis like the sun. This is especially true when they’re blooming.
And, like many of the vines in this list, you’ll want to create some kind of structure that will provide support for it to grow on.
Honeysuckle
The honeysuckle vine comes with uniquely looking flowers that make it a favorite of many gardeners.
Add to that it’s lovely fragrance.
Plus it’s sweet tasting nectar.
Like many vines, honeysuckle do best with some kind of support, be it a trellis, arbor or any DIY structure.
However, you can also use it as a ground cover thanks its breadth and lovely flowers.
The do like the sun and warm weather. So, it’s a good idea to position them where they can get enough light to grow.
Ivy
As a child, you’ve probably had some experience with poison ivy. Or, have been made aware of it.
While it’s one of the better know ivies, it’s not alone.
In fact, there is a large group of plants that are called ivy.
They are are vines that grow by climbing onto surfaces like walls, pergolas and other structures.
On flat surfaces, they work as ground cover as well.
With ivies, it’s their leaves that produce their looks.
The way the foliage grows, their shapes, colors and distinctive patterns make them unique in their own ways.
When it comes to ivies, here are a few popular ones you can go with:
- English ivy
- Algerian ivy
- Boston ivy
- Angel snow ivy
- Big shot ivy
- Japanese ivy
- Irish ivy
- California ivy
- Canarian Ivy
Jasmine
Jasmine are known for their lovely, sweet fragrance.
Of course, you won’t be able to overlook their beauty as well.
Depending on what colors your garden already has, you can choose between yellow, white and pink colors.
They bloom during the summer. And, they do enjoy light. So, full or partial sun works best.
Jasmine also prefer warm environments.
If you wish to grow them, be aware that they aren’t able to support themselves as they grow.
So, it’s a good idea to create some kind of structure to tie them to.
Petunias
Petunias are a great way to cover a blank vertical space.
They’re large trumpet-shaped flowers are very colorful. And, you can get color varieties as well. This makes them look more decorative than other vines that only have single colored blooms.
When growing petunias, you want to position them so they get full sun.
You can likewise place them in shaded areas. Although, lack of light can affect how much they flower.
Do choose well-draining soil as well, as they don’t like being wet.
Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Black-eyed Susans are easy to identify because of their dark center. They’re likewise surrounded by clear petals.
The contrast between the center and outer parts of their flowers make them very distinct and lovely to look at.
While they aren’t exactly invasive, black-eyed susans do spread. As such, they can cover spaces fairly well.
They grow to between 6-8 feet. And, prefer full or part sun.
Cup and Saucer
The cup and saucer is also known as cathedral bells.
Honestly, I don’t really see how they resemble a cup, much less a saucer.
I do agree more with the cathedral bells as far as the shape of their flowers go.
In any case, this vine likes full sun.
It also likes to grow, reaching 20 feet or more.
Morning Glory
The morning glory is another versatile climbing plant that can be grown in different settings.
You can let them cover an entire wall or fence if you want people to pay attention.
They can likewise grow in containers as long as you give them a structure to latch on to.
Do monitor their growth though.
That’s because they spread pretty quickly, reaching over 10 feet in a single season.
These beautiful flowers grow in zones 3 through 10 making them very available.
Plus, you also have the option to choose between white, pink, blue, purple and other colors.
Sweet Pea
Nope, these are not the sweet peas you see at the dinner table.
These are the flowers.
While they do have the same name, they’re very different plants.
In any case, these get their name from their pea-sized blooms.
Despite their size, they’re very beautiful to look at because of the way they grow. Plus, you’ve got a large array of colors to choose from.
These include red, violet, yellow, white, pink and more.
Canary Creeper
Yes, the plant doesn’t have the most appealing name.
However, it did get its name long ago when the word creeper only meant creeping up walls, fences and other structures. And not what it means in today’s world.
That said, this is a lovely climbing plant with bright yellow flowers.
The combination of the yellow and green flowing downward on a fall or trellis is definitely a sight to see.
And since it’s grows quickly, you’ll want to be prune it or give it enough space because it get get to 12 feet or more.
Conclusion
Climbing plants are great if you know which ones to get.
They can instantly make any vertical space come alive thanks to their color, foliage or blooms.
This makes them perfect if you have backyard structures that need some decorating.
What’s your favorite climbing plant?
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