Hardy Climbers

Q: What are the best evergreen climbers?

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Q: Can I grow climbers in pots on a balcony?

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Q: How do climbing plants attach to walls?

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Q: Which climbers are best for privacy and screening?

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Q: Where should I plant a climber?

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Hardy climbing plants for UK walls, fences, pergolas and balcony trellises. Passiflora, Actinidia kolomikta, Campsis radicans and other reliable hardy climbers for vertical colour, screening and scented interest.

16 products

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Purple Passion Fruit

Passiflora edulis (Passion Fruit)

£18.99

1

Blue Passion Flower

Passiflora caerulea

£14.99

1

Flame Lily

Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana'

£62.99

1

Wire Vine (Maidenhair Vine)

Muehlenbeckia complexa

£6.99

1

Golden Kiwi

Actinidia deliciosa (Golden Kiwi)

£19.99

1

Variegated Kiwi Vine

Actinidia kolomikta

£18.99

1

Pink Japanese Wisteria ('Hon-beni')

Wisteria floribunda 'Rosea'

£30.99

1

Dutchman's Pipe

Aristolochia macrophylla

£28.99

1

Trumpet Vine

Campsis radicans

£19.99

1

White Japanese Wisteria

Wisteria floribunda 'Alba'

£31.99

1

Star Jasmine (Variegated)

Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Star of Milano'

£30.99

1

Double Black Dragon Japanese Wisteria ('Yae-kokuryu')

Wisteria floribunda 'Black Dragon'

£31.99

1

Climbing Hydrangea

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris

£31.99

1

Chinese Wisteria 'Prolific' (Blue Wisteria)

Wisteria sinensis 'Prolific'

£30.99

1

Star Jasmine (Confederate Jasmine)

Trachelospermum jasminoides

£21.99

1

Armand Clematis (Evergreen Clematis)

Clematis armandii

£24.99

1

The GrowTropicals Guide to Hardy Climbers

What are hardy climbers?

Hardy climbers are the fastest way to add vertical impact to a UK garden. Passiflora caerulea flowers reliably from June to October and survives most winters back to the base. Actinidia kolomikta produces its extraordinary pink-splashed leaves on a sunny south-facing wall. Campsis radicans (trumpet vine) climbs by aerial roots and gives late-summer trumpet flowers on established plants. All climbers benefit from a support structure sized to their mature spread, installed before planting rather than after. Read our honest guide to what to expect from hardy exotics through the seasons before ordering.

Care essentials for hardy climbers

Position: Most flowering climbers prefer a south or west-facing wall. Actinidia kolomikta develops its variegation best in full sun. Some climbers (Aristolochia, hardy Hydrangea petiolaris) tolerate real shade.
Support: Install a permanent trellis, wire system or pergola before planting. Retrofit is always harder than getting it right first time.
Soil: Rich, moisture-retentive, well-drained. Enrich the planting hole with compost and water in generously. Climbers at the base of walls often struggle with dryness; mulch heavily.
Hardiness: Individual RHS bands per product. Passiflora and Campsis are H4 (may die back to base in a hard winter). Actinidia and Aristolochia are H5 or better.
Pruning: Species-specific. Passiflora tolerates hard spring cut-back. Actinidia should be lightly pruned in winter. Read each product page for the specific rule.

Explore the hardy climber range

Combine hardy climbers with screening plants for full privacy coverage, with pollinator plants for wildlife value, or with exotic border plants for a lush jungle look. See the full Hardy Exotics range for wall-side companions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best evergreen climbers?

Evergreen climbers keep their leaves all year, giving constant cover and privacy on a wall, fence or trellis. They are ideal where you want to screen a view or green a boundary in winter as well as summer, and this collection includes several reliable, hardy choices.

Can I grow climbers in pots on a balcony?

Yes, many climbers grow well in large pots trained up a trellis or railing, which is perfect for balconies and small patios. Use a good-sized container, give the plant something to climb, and water regularly through summer.

How do climbing plants attach to walls?

It depends on the type. Self-clinging climbers attach directly to walls with aerial roots or pads, while twiners and tendril climbers need wires or a trellis to wrap around. We note how each plant climbs so you can set up the right support.

Which climbers are best for privacy and screening?

Vigorous evergreen climbers give the fastest, most complete screening, clothing a fence or trellis with year-round foliage. For a mix of privacy and seasonal colour, combine an evergreen climber with a flowering one on the same support.

Where should I plant a climber?

Plant a little away from the base of a wall or fence, where the soil is often dry, and lead the stems to the support. Improve the soil with organic matter, water well while it establishes, and choose a position that suits the plant light needs.

Climbing plants for walls, fences and screens

Climbers are the clever way to garden upwards. They clothe a bare wall or fence, soften a boundary, add privacy and bring greenery and flower to spaces where there is no room at ground level. This collection brings together hardy and exotic-looking climbers, including evergreen types that hold their leaves all year, to help you make the most of every vertical surface.

Climbers for balconies, patios and small gardens

When floor space is tight, the walls are your garden. A climber in a pot trained up a trellis or balcony railing turns a bare boundary into a living screen, giving privacy and greenery without taking up the patio. Evergreen climbers are especially useful here, keeping a balcony or courtyard furnished right through winter.

Covering walls and fences in a larger garden

Over a fence, pergola or unsightly wall, a climber quickly does a job no other plant can. Mix an evergreen climber for year-round cover with a flowering one for a seasonal show, and you get privacy and colour from the same patch of ground.

Supporting and caring for climbers

Match the support to the plant: twiners and tendril climbers need wires or trellis to grip, while self-clinging types attach to walls on their own. Plant in improved soil a little away from the base of a wall where the ground is dry, water well while establishing, and tie in or prune as needed to keep growth where you want it.