Climbing plants can cover larger and unsightly areas with greenery or bloom lushly within a short period of time. In this article we present some flowering and evergreen climbing plants.

In a nutshell

  • Climbing plants are privacy screens, façade foundations and ornaments all in one
  • they spread upwards and take up little space on the ground
  • evergreens keep their foliage all year round
  • are particularly noticeable because of their pure green or multicolored foliage
  • blooming they impress with enchanting flower colors and shapes

Evergreen climbing plants

Types from A - J

Fragrant clematis (Clematis armandii)

Source: peganum from Henfield, England, Clematis armandii (3), edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
  • vigorous climbing plant, up to 500 cm high
  • leathery, shiny leaves
  • bronze colored when sprouting
  • flowering from March to May
  • medium-sized, cupped flowers
  • white to off-white, strongly scented
  • Climbing aid only required at the beginning
  • Later climbs independently

Tip: The ball of the evergreen climbing plant should always be well shaded.

Ivy (Hedera)

  • extremely robust and absolutely hardy
  • different leaf and growth forms
  • reaches heights of growth of up to 20 m
  • Species with green and variegated leaves
  • Flowering time from September to October
  • later dark blue berries (poisonous)
  • requires locations with even soil moisture
  • Ground covering without climbing aid

Flesh-colored passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)

Flesh colored passion fruit, Passiflora incarnata
  • evergreen and perennial
  • most frost hardy of all passion flowers
  • hardy to minus 20 degrees
  • Leaves green, deeply lobed in three parts, slightly serrated
  • Flowering period from June to September
  • fivefold flowers
  • diameter of five to eight centimetres
  • middle petals radiate
  • Sepals greenish on the outside, whitish on the inside, with a short awn
  • Petals mostly pale pink

Honeysuckle (Lonicera henryi)

Source: Raffi Kojian, Gardenology.org-IMG 1366 bbg09, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • very fast-growing climber or twiner
  • can climb heights of up to 800 cm with a climbing aid
  • overhanging growth
  • Leaves large, evergreen, lanceolate
  • blooms from June to July
  • Flowers small, inconspicuous, cylindrical, tubular
  • strongly scented whorls
  • Honeysuckle wilts in dark locations

Types of K - Q

Climbing Hydrangea 'Semiola' (R) (Hydrangea anomala)

  • strong and fast-growing creeper
  • is considered an evergreen climbing plant
  • Growth height up to 1200 cm
  • Leaves oval, dark green
  • copper-red shoots
  • flowering from July to September
  • large white umbels of flowers
  • grows in all garden soils

Notice: This climbing hydrangea is generally considered to be evergreen. It keeps its foliage in mild winters. If it is colder, it can shed most of its leaves.

Climbing Spindle (Euonymus fortunei)

  • only this species of spindle shrub suitable as a climbing plant
  • broadly bushy climbing or ground covering
  • up to 100 cm high and wide
  • Leaf oval, light green
  • no autumn colour, leaf green remains
  • Flowers from May to June, inconspicuous
  • decorative, coral-red fruits after flowering

Notice: In early spring it may be advisable to trim the spindle shrub into shape.

Climbing Bramble (Rubus henryi)

  • creeping or climbing, forming stolons
  • partly thicket-like
  • between 200 and 300 cm high
  • Leaves deeply three-lobed or lanceolate, white tomentose underneath
  • light pink flowers in June
  • black-red berries
  • Ripening time from August, aromatic taste

Moonflower (Ipomoea noctiflora)

  • climbs up to 600 cm in height
  • the most magnificent of all morning glory
  • Moonflower with brilliant white funnel flowers
  • Flowers open in the evening and at night
  • reach diameters of up to 15 cm
  • Scent particularly intense in the evening hours
  • deep green, heart-shaped, long-stalked leaves, evergreen
  • suitable for bucket maintenance

Types of R - Z

Rose calyx / purple bells (Rhodochiton atrosanguineus)

Source: Nzfauna, Rhodochiton astrosanguineum flower from underneath, edited by Plantopedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
  • usually cultivated as an annual, graceful evergreen climbing plant
  • can be overwintered
  • strongly hanging petiole anchor
  • Leaves heart-shaped, evergreen
  • persistent bloomer from May to October
  • solitary, trumpet-shaped black-red flowers
  • with purple or pink calyx

Tuscan Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

  • well-branched, climbing shrub
  • dense, bushy, upright
  • up to 300 cm high and 150 cm wide
  • Foliage oval and dark green
  • blooms from May to September
  • small, yellow, single flowers

Flowering climbing plants

Types from A - E

American Trumpet Flower (Campsis radicans)

  • perennial clinging root climbers
  • suitable for bucket keeping
  • Growth height between 600 and 1200 cm
  • Leaves medium green, imparipinnate
  • blooms from July to September
  • single, trumpet-shaped flowers
  • depending on the species yellow, orange or red

Notice: The root area should have a cool and moist substrate. Since this evergreen climbing plant flowers on new wood, it needs to be cut back to 15 cm every year.

Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)

  • climbing and twining flowering shrub
  • up to 900 cm high and 800 cm wide
  • Flowers appear before the leaves
  • around April/May
  • beautiful fragrant flower clusters
  • depending on the species in blue-violet, white or yellow
  • between 20 and 70 cm tall
  • light green, feathery foliage, yellow in autumn

Triplet flower (Bougainvillea)

  • one of the most magnificent climbing shrubs
  • an outdoor space from May to September
  • countless bright violet, yellow-orange, pink or blood-red flowers
  • three colored bracts enclose the tubular flowers
  • Cultivation exclusively as a container plant
  • frost-free overwintering required
  • from October to the winter quarters

Tip: After a slight pruning after the first flowering, young shoots with new flowers form.

Types of F - H

Runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus)

Runner beans, Phaseolus coccineus
  • annual, herbaceous climbing plant
  • up to 400 cm long creepers
  • Climbing aid advisable
  • flowering from June to September
  • depending on the variety, bright red, white or two-tone flowers
  • six to ten pairs of flowers per inflorescence
  • Bean fruits raw poisonous
  • cooked a delicacy

Bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria)

  • one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world
  • annual, climbing or lying on the ground
  • Main rung up to 1000 cm in length
  • almost round, heart-shaped leaves at the base
  • Leaves and shoots smell of musk
  • female and male flowers on one plant
  • white, bell-shaped, from June
  • only open in the evening
  • about 100 cm long, spherical or bottle-shaped fruits
  • Shell is thick and woody

Tip: The fruits of the bottle gourd are extremely decorative. Young fruits are still easy to mold as long as the skin has not yet hardened.

Bell Vine (Cobaea scandens)

Bell vine, Cobaea scandens suitable for garden and balcony
  • fast-growing, perennial, herbaceous climbing plant
  • annual with growth heights of up to 400 cm
  • pinnate smooth-edged leaves
  • branched, reddish tendrils up to 5 cm long at the ends of the leaves
  • bend when touched
  • Flowering time from July to October
  • large, pendulous, violet-blue, bell-shaped flowers
  • conspicuously protruding white stamens

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

  • fast-growing, twining, sometimes forming runners
  • grows 250 to 600 cm in height in one year
  • dies above ground every winter
  • green, lobed as well as ovate to round leaves, leaf margins serrated
  • flowering from July to August
  • male flowers, inconspicuous green-yellow panicles
  • female, decorative light green cones
  • each plant, only male or female flowers
  • Sex to be determined at flowering

Species with K

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

  • compact growth with tendrils up to three meters long
  • medium growth
  • in this country only once a year
  • bright continuous bloomer from June to November
  • large red to yellow funnel flowers
  • young leaves, flowers and buds edible
  • Removal of wilted flowers encourages new blooms
  • Climbing aid an advantage

Climbing snapdragon (Asarina scandens/Asarina barclaiana)

  • annual evergreen climber
  • Asarina scandens and Asarina barclaiana are commercially available
  • Asarina scandens more delicate and up to 200 cm high
  • heart-shaped leaves more or less stout
  • glabrous or sparsely hairy shoots
  • blue-red or violet throat flowers with a white throat
  • Asarina barclaiana up to 300 cm high
  • shoots covered with hairs
  • Flowers of Asarina barclaiana intense purple
  • much lighter inside
  • Flowering time from early summer to late autumn
  • if kept for several years, frost-free overwintering required

climbing roses

  • above average growth, up to 500 cm high
  • weak and medium-growing species
  • profuse flowering
  • don't take up much space
  • Blossoms and magical fragrance all summer long
  • flowering once or several times
  • different flower colors, filled or unfilled
  • robust ADR roses and rambler roses are particularly recommended
  • Climbing roses need pruning

Knotweed (Fallopia baldschuanica)

  • vigorous climbing plant
  • Growth heights up to 1200 cm
  • cannot do without climbing aids
  • oval, green leaves, deciduous
  • blooms from July to September
  • white panicles of flowers up to 20 cm long

Tip: Fallopia baldschuanica should be cut back in winter.

Types of R - Z

Pink Trumpet Vine (Podranea ricasoliana)

  • strong-growing, non-hardy climber for keeping in containers
  • Height between 150 and 400 cm
  • delights with beautiful flowers
  • very large, bell or trumpet shaped and fragrant
  • pink with dark red stripes
  • dense, dark green, leathery foliage
  • also very decorative when not in bloom
  • requires frost-free overwintering

Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata)

  • Plant name refers to the fragrant flowers
  • twining, climbing growth up to 700 cm high
  • Foliage evergreen in mild winters
  • flowering in May
  • simple cupped flowers
  • purple-brown (female) or pink (male)
  • cucumber-shaped fruits burst open when ripe
  • light purple and light green skin
  • Flesh jelly-like, sweet in taste
  • sensitive to frost when young

tip: The pulp can be eaten raw or made into delicious desserts.

Beautiful tendril (Eccremocarpus scaber)

  • one of the most beautiful climbing plants
  • richly branched network of slender shoots
  • grows 200-300 cm high
  • Leaves imparipinnate, tendrils, filigree
  • rich flowering from July until frost
  • Flowers change color from yellow to red
  • are bell-shaped very numerous
  • ideal container plant, overwinter frost-free

Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata)

  • is one of the most popular annual climbing plants
  • can climb to dizzy heights or act as a ground cover
  • Growth height between 120 and 150 cm
  • dark green, triangular to heart-shaped leaves
  • lush flowers from May to September
  • yellow, orange or red flowers
  • sharply defined black throat
  • can overwinter in a frost-free place

Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

Jasminum nudiflorum
  • Loose growth, strongly overhanging
  • as a small shrub or climbing plant
  • Growth height up to 300 cm
  • Leaves green, threefold, oval, lanceolate
  • late flowering from December to March
  • single bright yellow flowers

frequently asked Questions

Does every climbing plant need a climbing aid?

Whether a climbing aid is required depends on the species. Strong-growing species such as wisteria or knotweed cannot do without climbing aids. In contrast, so-called self-climbers such as ivy or wild wine require no climbing aids at all. For annual species, threads or wires stretched between bamboo sticks or hazelnut sticks are usually sufficient.

Can you plant different types of climbing plants together?

This is not a problem. The species in question should have the same demands on the site and should be pruned at the same time if possible. A good combination is, for example, the classic clematis with large shrub or rambler roses.

Can these plants cause damage to facades?

Partial. While self-climbers such as ivy or vine can certainly damage the plaster, those that are prone to sooty mold leave unsightly stains on the facade.

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Garden plants