Fast-growing climbing plants offer the ideal short-term solution for boring walls, decorate house facades and serve as privacy screens. With flowers, they provide a summery flair and some varieties produce delicious fruits. If they are perennial and survive the winter outdoors in good health, you can save money and, above all, time. Below is a list of the best-known and most popular climbing and climbing plants.
Table of Contents
Bauernjasmin (Philadelphus coronarius)
The hardy farmer’s jasmine is also known as the European mock orange. It is actually a fast-growing, shrub-like plant, but due to its height it is often planted as a climbing plant on a vine structure.
- Soil tolerant, cut resistant
- Growth: upright growth, climbing with tendrils
- Growth height: 200 to 300 centimeters
- Growth rate: 30 to 50 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: May to June
- Flower color: creamy white
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: down to minus five degrees Celsius without protection against the cold
Blauregen (Wisteria)
Hardly any climbing plants that grow as fast as a wisteria are available. The tendril owes its name to the beautiful blue, blue-purple flowers that hang down like raindrops. Due to the lush flowering and corresponding weight, a climbing aid is absolutely necessary, which ensures growth in the garden bed as well as for potted plants. The following hardy varieties are among the most popular:
Wisteria floribunda ‚Blue Dream‘
- Summer green
- Delicately scented
- Growth: climbing, forming runners, twisting to the right
- Growth height: 6 to 8 meters
- Growth rate: 70 to 150 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: May to July
- Flower color: light purple-blue
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: down to minus 10 degrees Celsius
Wisteria sinensis ‚Alba‘
- Summer green
- Pleasantly fragrant
- Growth: climbing, forming runners, twisting to the right
- Growth height: 8 to 10 meters
- Growth rate: 1 to 2 meters per year
- Flowering period: May to June
- Flower color: white
- Spectacular fall color
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: down to minus 12 degrees Celsius
Wisteria floribunda ‚Violacea Plena‘
- Summer green
- Pleasantly fragrant
- Growth: Right-handed, climbing and ground-covering
- Growth height: 4 to 6 meters
- Growth rate: 1 to 2 meters per year
- Flowering period: May to July
- Flower color: light purple-blue
- autumn coloring
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: down to minus 10 degrees Celsius
ivy
The ivy is one of the classics among the climbing plants, which is also good as a ground cover. First of all, it is popular due to the ease of care. Various species are very hardy and fast-growing climbing plants.
Common ivy (Hedera helix)
- periwinkle
- Growth: climbing or ground covering
- Growth height: 200 to 500 centimeters
- Growth rate: 30 to 50 centimeters per year
- Flowering time: September to October (approx. from the 10th year)
- Flower color: green-yellow
- Location: sun to shade
- Hardy: enormous
Irish ivy (Hedera helix hibernica)
- Evergreen, large leaves
- Growth: climbing, with adhesive roots
- Growth height: 400 to 1000 centimeters
- Growth rate: 30 to 60 centimeters per year
- Flowering time: September to October
- Flower color: greenish-yellow
- Location: sun to shade
- Hardy: enormous
Geißblatt (Lonicera)
The fast-growing and hardy honeysuckle is available in a wide variety of varieties and inspires hobby gardeners and plant lovers with the unique flower shapes and the beguiling scent. Those who meet the relatively high demands in terms of location and water requirements can enjoy this eye-catcher for a long time. Popular varieties are the following:
‘Goldflame’ (Lonicera heckrottii)
- deciduous
- Intense, sweet fragrance until November
- blooming
- Ideal for buckets
- Growth: climbing with a climbing aid, strongly twining, upright
- Growth height: 3 to 6 meters
- Growth rate: 40 to 60 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: blue-red to crimson on the outside, light yellow-white on the inside
- Location: shady to semi-shady
- Hardy: Extremely hardy down to minus 35 degrees Celsius
Jelängerjelieber / Echtes Geißblatt (Lonicera caprifolium)
- deciduous
- Intense, sweet scent
- blooming
- Ideal for buckets
- Growth: upright, twining, twisting to the right
- Growth height: 3 to 6 meters
- Growth rate: 30 to 50 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: May to July
- Flower color: yellow-white inside, reddish outside
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: Extremely hardy down to minus 35 degrees Celsius
Wald Geißblatt/Wald-Geißschlinge ‚Serotina‘ (Lonicera periclymenum ‚Serotina‘)
- deciduous
- Intense, sweet fragrance in the evening
- blooming
- Growth: climbing with help, broad
- Growth height: 3 to 5 meters
- Growth rate: 40 to 80 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: May to July
- Flower color: yellow, reddish overflowing
- Slightly poisonous fruit
- Location: partial shade
- Hardy: Extremely hardy down to minus 35 degrees Celsius
Kletterhortensien (Hydrangea petiolaris)
Various hardy and fast-growing varieties of this type of climbing plant climb walls, building facades, climbing aids, fences and everything else where they can “hold on” with numerous, fine adhesive roots. One variety in particular stands out as a conditionally hardy variant.
Hydrangea anomala ‘Semiola’
- Alternative to ivy
- Growth: climbing
- Growth height: 2.50 to 3 meters
- Growth rate: up to 30 centimeters per year
- Flowering time: June to August (only after two to three years of life)
- Flower color: white
- Copper-red young shoots
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, no direct sun
- Hardy: yes, down to around freezing point without protection against the cold
climbing roses
Among the climbing roses, the following varieties in particular stand out, which are considered to be extremely robust and resistant to diseases.
Sally Holmes
- Slightly fragrant and summer green
- Growth: upright, bushy, climbing with tendrils
- Growth height: 100 to 180 centimeters
- Flowering time: frequently flowering between June and October
- Flower color: white to creamy white
- Very floriferous
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, tolerates shade
- Hardy: down to minus 8 degrees Celsius
New Dawn
- Pleasant fragrance and summer green
- Growth: climbing, fast-growing
- Growth height: 250 to 350 centimeters
- Flowering time: frequently flowering from June until frost
- Flower color: delicate pearly pink
- Very flowery
- trellis required
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: down to minus 10 degrees Celsius
American trumpet climber (Campsis radicans)
‘Flamenco’, ‘Flava’ and ‘Stromboli’ are varieties that cannot be missing from the list of fast-growing and hardy climbers. They grow enormously. Due to their weight, they are perfect as trellis plants. Its trumpet-shaped flowers delight flower lovers all over the world.
- Summer green
- Growth: climbing with clinging roots, fast-growing
- Growth height: 6 to 20 meters
- Growth rate: 80 to 200 centimeters per year
- Flowering time: July to August/September
- Flower color: red, pink, orange,
- Very flowery
- Location: sun
- Hardy: down to minus 15 degrees Celsius without protection against the cold
Losbaum (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)
The Losbaum is one of the subtropical/tropical climbing plants that do well in garden beds, in conservatories, on terraces and as a houseplant. It is categorized as hardy, bearing in mind that it has no chance of surviving outdoors when temperatures are too low.
- periwinkle
- Habit: fast-growing climbing plant, overhanging
- Growth height: 3 meters with climbing aid
- Flowering period: June to October
- Flower color: white-red
- Location: bright, ideal sun in the morning and evening
- Hardy: up to a maximum of minus 10 degrees Celsius
Mauerwein (Parthenocissus quinquefolia ‚Engelmannii‘)
The self-climbing Mauerwein is particularly popular due to its unusual leaf shape and the golden yellow to dark red leaf color in autumn. The ‘Engelmannii’ variety is an extremely fast-growing climbing plant like no other. It can get along in almost any location and has good hardy properties.
- Summer green
- Very striking autumn colors in bright dark blood red to fire red
- Growth: self-climbing, fast-growing
- Growth height: 10 to 12 meters
- Growth rate: 40 to 100 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: June to August
- Flower color: whitish-yellow
- Pea-sized, blue fruits from September
- Location: sun to shade
- Hardy: degrees Celsius
Passionsblume (Passiflora)
Passion flowers are very easy to care for and fast-growing climbing plants, which, however, are only partially hardy. They lose their leaves completely at temperatures below ten degrees Celsius. They usually dry up over the winter if left outside. If the roots are covered with a thick layer of straw, brushwood or pine needles, a passiflora will usually sprout again in spring. Potted plants also need protection from the cold around the pot and below, so that the cold ground does not reach the roots with full intensity. The following varieties in particular impress with their beautiful, lush flowers and ease of care.
- Deciduous, also wintergreen in mild climates
- Growth: twining, climbing
- Growth height: 200 to 400 centimeters
- Growth rate: 20 to 100 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: May to October
- Flower color: violet
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: only with cold protection
Spindle shrub/creeping spindle ‘Emerald’n Gold’ (Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald’n Gold’)
What is actually offered as a small shrub also proves to be a robust, noble-looking climbing plant and a creeping groundcover. With its colorful variegated foliage, this specimen is a real eye-catcher. In addition, its easy care makes it so popular.
- periwinkle
- Very dense
- Habit: creeping shrub, ground covering, climbing
- Growth height: 40 to 60 centimeters, sometimes up to 80 centimeters
- Growth rate: up to 25 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: June to July
- Flower color: green-whitish
- Foliage color: green, yellow edge, fading to pink in autumn
- Location: sun to shade
- Hardy: very cold resistant
Waldreben (Clematis)
The buttercup plants inspire with their lush flowers and, depending on the variety, are very hardy climbing plants. It is not for nothing that the clematis is called the queen of climbing plants.
‚The President‘
- Hybridsort
- Summer green
- Undemanding in care
- Growth: deciduous
- Growth height: up to 5 meters
- Growth rate: around 50 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: May to September
- Flower color: blue-violet
- Location: sunny to semi-shady, sheltered from the wind
- Hardy: adult plants yes, young and container plants only with protection against the cold
‚Rubens‘ (Clematis montana)
- Summer green
- Scented of vanilla
- Requires climbing aid
- Growth: deciduous, upright, bushy
- Growth height: 5 to 8 meters
- Growth rate: around 50 centimeters per year
- Flowering time: May to June – often after-flowering until autumn
- Flower color: light pink
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: in mild regions yes, in harsh climates protection against the cold is advisable
- Clematisgruppe: viticella
‚Dark Eyes‘
- Deciduous and deciduous
- Light leaf scent
- Requires climbing aid
- Growth: climbing, looping, climbing
- Growth height: 150 to 180 centimeters
- Growth rate: around 50 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: July to September
- Flower color: dark purplish violet
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: in mild regions yes, in harsh climates protection against the cold is advisable
‘Prince Charles’
- Deciduous and deciduous
- Ideal starter plant
- Requires climbing aid
- Growth: climbing, looping, climbing
- Growth height: 150 to 300 centimeters
- Growth rate: 50 to 60 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: July to September
- Flower color: light to medium blue
- Location: ideal semi-shade, sun is tolerated
- Hardy: yes, protection against the cold is only recommended in extreme sub-zero temperatures
‚Kermesina’
- Deciduous and deciduous
- Very healthy variety
- Growth: climbing
- Growth height: 250 to 350 centimeters
- Growth rate: 50 to 60 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: burgundy
- Location: ideal semi-shade, sun is tolerated
- Hardy: yes
Grape Vines (Vitis)
Grapevines are very popular as climbing plants, mainly because of their shoots, which are reminiscent of lianas. With proper care and an optimal location, they form tasty fruits and conjure up a Mediterranean flair in gardens and on balconies. They feel just as comfortable planted outdoors as they do in pots if they can climb walls or tendrils. Various varieties are characterized by hardy and medium to fast-growing properties.
‚Vanessa‘
- mushroom festival
- Growth: medium strong
- Growth height: over 5 meters
- Growth rate: 100 to 300 centimeters per year
- Flowering period: mid-May to late June
- Flower color: white
- Fruits: pink, crunchy, sweet in taste, few seeds
- Harvest time: September
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: very
‘Birstaler Muskat’
- Summer green
- mushroom festival
- Growth: medium strong, upright
- Growth height: 2 to 4 meters
- Fruits: yellow, nutmeg aroma, seeds, very juicy, yet crisp
- Harvest time: September to the end of October
- Location: Sunny
- Hardy: very
Wilder Hopfen (Humulus lupulus)
Not only used as an ingredient in beer, but also seen on house facades, walls or other “mounts”, hops are a fast-growing and hardy climbing plant, although this hop variety is not suitable for beer production. The hops cling to the ground with a kind of barb and climb upwards, so that a climbing aid is only required where it is planted free-standing.
- Growth: twining with formation of runners, fast-growing
- Growth height: 600 to 1000 centimeters
- Growth rate: centimeters per year
- Flowering period: June to September
- Flower color: green-brownish, spike-shaped
- Location: sun to semi-shade
- Hardy: extremely hardy down to minus 30 degrees Celsius
