Decorative Climbing Plants That Grow on Walls

Climbing plants or vines are classified as any plant that has trailing stems, allowing them to climb into walls or any structure. Climbing plants attach themselves to any structure through tendrils, clinging, or wrapping themselves to any structure.

However, there are certain types of non-climbing plants that could grow on walls too. Climbing plants make an excellent addition to any landscape design because they are not only easy on the eyes, they also cover up blank walls or fences and provide shade. If you’re planning to use decorative climbing plants to dress up a wall or to enhance your garden, consider these tips:

Making Plants Grow on Walls

Now if you’re trying to dress up a blank wall with plants, you don’t just de-pot a plant in the wall and expect the roots to hang on. The plant will drop from the wall at some point because the roots need more time to grow into the wall. Rather than using a fully grown plant and then planting it directly on the wall, use seeds or juvenile plants first. You want to give the plant enough time to grow its roots so it hangs on the wall effectively.

One way to plant a seed directly into the wall is to insert the seed to a marble-sized compost and inserting the whole thing into the wall cracks or sow the seeds in pots and then attaching them into the gaps of the wall when they are starting to grow.

Another great method to make plants grow on walls is to simply let the potted climbing plants sit on top of the wall or leave the pots at the side of the wall. The plants will instinctively starts climbing the walls on their own.

Decorative Climbing Plants for Your Garden

Planning to incorporate climbing plant to your home or garden. These types of decorative climbing plants make a great addition to any landscape:

Fairy Foxglove

This climbing plant is also known scientifically as Erinus alpinus. It originated from Europe Mountains and is common in English gardens. What makes fairy foxglove a great choice for decorating walls is that it prefers poor soil. The fairy foxglove comes in red, pink, or white flowers and although the flowering season is very short (April to August), it does produce abundant flowers. Once it blooms, it’s a sight to behold!

Red Valerian

The Red Valerian or Centranthus ruber comes in red, white, or pink blooms and grows in the wild in France and Germany. It’s easily one of the best climbing plants for drier seasons, making it a great choice if you have dry stone walls to dress up. It blooms in May to September and is very easy to grow.

Stonecrop

The stonecrop climbing plant is perfect for drier climates because it’s very tolerant to drought. It has beautiful white or yellow flowers and gives any blank exterior space a romantic feel. However, stonecrop has very short flowering period (June to July). That said, the leaves of the plant itself are quite decorative even without the flowers and they come in creams, green with red tinge, or greys. Stonecrops are ideal for mossy walls.