A pergola over a terrace or a corner seat in the garden is usually erected for the purpose of providing shade. Accordingly, the plants climbing here should then become so dense that the hot, burning sun is practically locked out in summer. Many fast-growing, climbing and often flowering or fruit-bearing plants are suitable for a pergola.
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Climbing plants for the pergola
When a pergola is set up in the garden, there are various ways to let the selected plants climb and plant them. In this way, the climbing plants can be planted on each of the four pillars, which will later form the roof from all sides. If ropes are connected vertically and horizontally between the posts, screen walls can even form here on one or more sides. To then plant the pergola, there are classics such as ivy or vine, but also many new ideas. It is important to note whether the plants are annual or perennial. Vegetables and fruits are also becoming increasingly popular here. In the following article, a distinction was made as follows:
- perennial climbing plants
- Climbing plants with edible fruits
Perennial climbing plants
Most perennial climbers are usually cut back to the base before winter. They are also fast-growing and quickly green the pergola again. With other climbing, perennial plants, only the new shoots are cut in autumn, the old twigs and branches entwine themselves around the pergola and thus remain an integral part even in winter. These include, for example, the wisteria or the climbing trumpet. Thus, perennial popular climbing plants include the following:
Blauregen (Wisteria)
Before the green leaves are formed in spring, the wisteria captivates with an abundance of light blue flower umbels. It looks particularly beautiful when the plant grows as a roof over the pergola and the flowers hang down over the seat. Unfortunately, the flowering is over again in early summer. Therefore, the wisteria is well suited in combination with another climbing plant that should flower later in the year, such as the trumpet vine or the clematis. Here the plants can grow into the pergola from different sides. Wisteria also has the following properties:
- Flower: blue to light blue or white
- Flowering time: April to June
- many long umbels
- Flowering before leaf emergence
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- hardy
- Pruning required over the summer
- Plant is very fast growing
Bougainvillea (Drillingsblume)
The bougainvillea is a plant that is perennial and needs a long time to grow to plant a pergola, but which is only partially hardy in the local latitudes. Therefore, it is only suitable for locations in a mild climate zone to be cultivated in the garden bed. If it gets cold at the location in winter, the plant usually has no chance of surviving. It also has the following properties:
- belongs to the magic flower family
- has colored bracts
- Flower: from white to pink to red
- Flowering time: March to October
- Location: full sun
- conditionally hardy to – 5° Celsius
- Cultivation attached in the bucket
- only light pruning required
Clematis (Waldrebe)
The graceful clematis are better known by their Latin name Clematis . The important thing about the plant is that the roots are in the shade while the rest of the plant can be exposed to full sun. To achieve this, ground covers can be cultivated together around the roots, which can provide the needed shade. The otherwise very easy-care clematis also has the following properties:
- Flower color: blue, violet, white, pink
- Flowering time from April to October
- Location variable from sun to shade
- poisonous
- Winter hardiness depends on the variety
- are considered a dream pair together with climbing roses
Garden honeysuckle (Lonicera)
The garden honeysuckle is also known as honeysuckle and is very popular in the local latitudes as a flowering, climbing, perennial plant. When choosing, you should make sure that it is a climbing variety, because there are also short varieties here. Otherwise, honeysuckle also possesses the following properties:
- Height up to eight meters
- evergreen and deciduous varieties
- very fast growing
- Flower color: red, orange, yellow, white
- some varieties very fragrant
- Flowering period from May to September
- Location: partially shaded to sunny
- poisonous
- hardy
- Climbing plants can bare
climbing roses
One of the most beautiful ways to plant a pergola are the climbing roses, of which there are a large number of varieties and species. If roses are purchased, regardless of the type, they should always have the ADR seal. This certifies a robust variety. Otherwise, the different types of climbing roses have the following properties:
- very fast growing
- different colors depending on variety
- Flowering period between June and September
- large abundance of flowers
- flowering several times or once a year
- Location: sunny to semi-shady
- hardy
- give off a strong scent
- densely growing suitable as privacy screen
Climbing Spindle (Euonymus fortunei)
The climbing spindle is also known as the creeping spindle. With its adhesive roots, it crawls up several meters with help, so to speak. The plant is also well suited for planting on a pergola, which it conquers overall if you don’t stop it.
- belongs to the spindle tree family
- Flower color: greenish-white
- Flowering period: June and July
- evergreen
- very dense foliage
- good privacy
- Location: partially shaded, shade is tolerated
- Fruits slightly poisonous
- pretty tough
Klettertrompete (Campsis radicans)
A very striking plant from the Mediterranean region is the trumpet vine. In its original space, it grows anywhere it can climb, often on lampposts along the street or in trees. Also in the local latitudes, the fast-growing and perennial, magnificently flowering and climbing trumpet is suitable for planting a pergola and is therefore becoming more and more popular, and rightly so, as the following properties show:
- Flower color: orange to light red
- large flowers look like trumpets
- form on the one-year-old shoots
- Flowering time between July and September
- Location: sunny
- highly toxic
- Winter hardiness depends on the variety
- Cut back to the woody shoots in autumn
- new shoots grow rapidly in spring
Climbing plants with edible fruits
A green pergola, from which you can even have a snack in summer or autumn, can also be a real eye-catcher. Some climbing fruits and vegetables are also suitable for planting and can be grown on the pergola, so use and eye-catcher are combined in one. These plants include:
Grumbling Bears (Rubus sectio Rubus)
The blackberries are well suited as a climbing plant with a trellis for a pergola, because in summer you can also snack on them at the same time. The usually dense foliage also offers a certain privacy. It is ideal if you pull the blackberries as a green wall between two corners of the pergola. For the roof you can use other flowering climbing plants from the other side. Blackberries also have the following properties:
- Growth height up to two meters
- Flower color white to light pink
- Flowering time May to July
- Fruits from June to September
- Fruits black-red to black
- small thorns on the shoots
Raspberries (Rubus idaeus)
The bright red raspberries are also very tasty and often eaten from hand to mouth. Caution is advised here, however, because the plants have small thorns. But if you not only want shade on a terrace or a seat in the garden but also want to have a snack at the same time, you are well advised to use raspberries. The plant also has the following properties:
- Flower color: white
- Flowering period from May to July
- Harvest time from July to August
- Location: sunny
- hardy
- requires pruning after harvest
- Growth height up to two meters
Grape Vines (Vitis)
Vines with the tasty grapes in many different varieties are also well suited for a pergola. The fruits are suitable for direct consumption or for making wine or juice, as well as for jellies. Grape vines climb strongly, the shoots grow again every year, the fruits are formed on the one-year-old shoots. For a garden with a Mediterranean flair, vines are a good choice as a patio or seating area protection on a pergola. The plant has the following properties:
- vigorous climbing shrub
- Can grow up to 10 meters tall if left uncut
- regular, heavy pruning in autumn
- Flowering time May to July
- small, yellow-green flowers
- rather inconspicuous
- Grapes from August to October
- in white, red or purple
- with cores or without
- Location sunny
Annual climbing plants
Annual climbing plants are usually flowering and fast-growing plants. If these are sown or planted in a timely manner in spring, they offer just as good protection from the sun and prying eyes in summer as do perennial, flowering, climbing plants. Plants will often self-seed if given the opportunity. This means that in the right location with the right conditions, they germinate all by themselves every year. Annual climbing plants include:
- Dipladenia (Mandevilla splendens)
- Glockenrebe (Cobaea scandens)
- Black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata)
Kira Bellingham
I'm a homes writer and editor with more than 20 years' experience in publishing. I have worked across many titles, including Ideal Home and, of course, Homes & Gardens. My day job is as Chief Group Sub Editor across the homes and interiors titles in the group. This has given me broad experience in interiors advice on just about every subject. I'm obsessed with interiors and delighted to be part of the Homes & Gardens team.