A green wall, a flowering archway, a shaded seat: climbing plants create a lot of effect on the smallest ground. But they often fail on the wrong support. A wisteria tears down a delicate wire grid, a clematis finds no hold on a thick post. The key is to match the climbing type to the support.
There are three groups: twiners, tendril climbers and self-clingers. This article shows you how each climbs, which support it needs and how to combine different climbers sensibly.
The three climbing types
Who climbs how
- Twiners (wisteria, hop, honeysuckle)
They wind their shoots spirally around everything vertical. They need sturdy poles, ropes or posts to wind up. Important: strong, because twiners get heavy.
- Tendril climbers (clematis, grapevine, morning glory)
They grasp thin structures with leaf stalks, tendrils or shoot tendrils. For them, fine grids, tensioned wires or nets that the thin tendrils can wrap around are suitable.
- Self-clingers (ivy, Virginia creeper)
They cling directly to wall and facade with aerial roots or adhesive pads and need no support. In return they also climb where you do not want them.
- Scramblers (climbing rose)
They have no holding organs of their own but hook on with thorns. They must be tied to a framework or trellis, because otherwise they fall back down.
The right support
The most common mistake is a support that does not suit the climbing type. Heavy twiners like wisteria need a framework of thick poles or galvanised ropes that can carry many kilos. For delicate tendril climbers like clematis a fine grid suffices, on which the thin leaf stalks find hold.
Important for all against the wall: mount the support a few centimetres away from the facade. That way air circulates, the plant stays healthy and the wall dry. Self-clingers, by contrast, you set directly against the wall, but bear in mind that their adhesive pads can damage plaster.
Combining climbing plants
It gets really appealing when you combine different climbers. A classic: an early-flowering climbing rose with a later-flowering clematis on the same framework. That way the spot blooms for months, and the clematis threads elegantly through the rose.
When combining, watch for similar demands on site and pruning and for matching vigour. A vigorous wisteria would simply overgrow a delicate clematis. How to prune the accompanying climbing rose correctly is in Pruning roses by type.
First determine the climbing type, then choose the support. Twiners want poles, tendril climbers fine grids, self-clingers nothing. If that fits together, the green wall grows on its own.
The core rule for climbing plants
Frequently asked questions
Which support does which climbing plant need?
It depends on the climbing type. Twiners like wisteria need sturdy poles or ropes, tendril climbers like clematis fine grids or tensioned wires, self-clingers like ivy no support at all. Scramblers like climbing roses must be tied in.
Which climbing plant grows fast and dense?
Fast and dense grow hop (annual, shoots anew each year), Virginia creeper and honeysuckle. For permanent, evergreen screening ivy is suitable, though it starts more slowly and leaves adhesive pads on the wall.
When do you plant climbing plants?
Best in spring, weeks 12 to 18, when the soil warms. Then they root in well over the season. Container plants you can also set in autumn. Always mount the support before planting.
Do climbing plants damage the house wall?
Self-clingers like ivy and Virginia creeper can damage plaster and joints with their adhesive pads, above all on old facades. Safer are trellises with a gap to the wall for twiners and tendril climbers, which do not touch the facade.
Can you combine several climbing plants?
Yes, that extends the flowering time. A classic is a climbing rose with a clematis on the same framework. Important is that both have similar site demands and that the vigour matches, so the stronger does not overgrow the weaker.
