Best Climbing Plants For Trellises
Climbing plants add to the vertical dimension of the garden, providing a vertical complement to the rest of the garden, framing and funneling the attention into the garden. However, climbing plants will need support to create this vertical wall within these outdoor spaces. The perfect median for these plants is a tall metal trellis. Trellises serve the plant by providing support to the heavy plants and giving them the necessary vertical space to grow and become a towering member of your garden. The height of both of these tools in the garden means they often go together, and while many of us are familiar with different trellising systems and styles, we don’t always know as much about the different types of climbing plants. In this article we want to share a few of the different options in the realm of climbing plants that a gardener may wish to use with their trellises.
Clematis
We’ll start this list with a classic option. Clematis is a favorite among gardeners of climbing plants. This plant comes in a number of different types, with the blooms on the vine coming in a handful of different colors. These plants are relatively easy to plant and thrive in partial to full sunlight, so make sure they’re in a spot that gets plenty of sun! These plants will often take about 2-3 years to reach their full size, but will produce a hardy plant anywhere from 6-20 feet tall.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium comes in a wide variety of sizes and bright colors, with some of these plants only growing about 1 foot tall and others around 10 feet. For trellising, select one of these taller species of Nasturtium and train these hardy climbers while they are younger to properly climb the trellis. This plant is particularly fond of sunshine and will thrive in the direct sun, though it will need to be consistently watered to produce the best looking vines and flowers. Explore the number of explosively bright colors when looking to add a climbing plant to your garden.
Bougainvillea
While this plant falls a little more into the creeper/shrub category, it is still capable of growing up a trellis. Bougainvillea is a sun-loving plant that will need around 6 hours of sunshine a day, preferring a drier climate. These plants can grow to be relatively tall and are naturally a sturdy and heavy-duty plant. These plants are considered fast growers by botanical standards and will pretty quickly take up space on a wall or trellis, though they are not an invasive or aggressive plant. Be careful with these plants though, as they have thorny branches that might be dangerous for smaller children.
Climbing Hydrangea
Hydrangeas are a beautiful plant, and the climbing variety are the perfect plant for a garden trellis. These plants will grow quickly and will start producing blooms after a few years, however these full and glorious blooms are worth the wait and will add grace and elegance to your garden like no other. The blooms are also resistant to almost any type of sun exposure, whether they are in sunlight or shade. Hydrangeas can get very tall and you will likely need to prune these fast growing plants even though they are not particularly invasive or aggressive among other plants in the garden.
Wisteria
Wisteria is a purple blooming vine that will drape itself extraordinarily around the trellises in your garden. The thick vines grow at a pace of nearly 20 feet a year and can be invasive, so diligent pruning is necessary to keep these plants contained as they are semi-invasive and could take over your entire garden if not taken care of properly. Different types of Wisteria will also come in a number of different scents and fragrances, so choosing one that you enjoy is key. Be careful with these plants however, as they are poisonous to many of our furry friends.
Climbing Roses
Climbing Roses are the perfect addition to any garden space, adding both class and beauty to the garden. Roses are certainly the king of all flowers, and having the climbing variety growing up the trellises in your garden brings this regal feel to the home. These bushes are relatively hardy and will do best in partial sunlight. They will often grow upwards of 6-8 feet, reaching nearly 12 feet tall for some types. These roses will also come in a handful of different colors, so while the classic crimson red embodies the rose, don’t be afraid to experiment with white roses, or a softer pink or red.
Sweet Pea
We’ll close this list with a climbing plant that is both practical and beautiful. The flowering Sweet Pea plant won’t provide your garden with quite the same beauty that others do, but it will provide wonderful flowers that are a little smaller. Sweet Pea plants themselves won’t grow much taller than about 6 feet, but they are a fun plant that is easy to grow, just make sure that they are contained to prevent them from spreading throughout the garden!
Thanks for reading this list of some of our favorite climbing plants to grow up your trellis. This list is not exhaustive so feel free to look for more options that exist throughout the gardening world. There is a climbing plant out there for every garden!