Notes from a talk given to the Chorlton Gardeners group, October 2019

As a garden designer I always ask for a wish list of plants from my clients. When it comes to climbers, wisteria is nearly always a request, together with roses and clematis.

Not everyone has room for a traditional oriental wisteria, but there is now a more compact variety available from N. America – Wisteria frutescens ‘Amethyst Falls’, fragrant, quite rounded, lavender blue flowers, May-June, 5m H x 3m W. Alternatively, be brave and train a wisteria into a small rounded or umbrella shaped tree and keep it well pruned.

Roses

There are so many climbing roses to choose from. One of my favourites and a more unusual variety to try – Rosa mutabilis. A very healthy rose with unique colouring. The flowers start pale peach and age to deep pink. A shrub rose that works well free standing or as a climber against a warm wall or fence. Flowers in early summer then repeat flowers in the autumn.

Clematis

Again, so many to choose from, so I picked some different types to span the year.

Clematis armandii – an evergreen clematis with large, paddle-shaped, leathery leaves and white or pink flowers in Mar-April. Almond scented flowers. Works well in tropical themed gardens and in more traditional settings. A big, heavy plant to 5-7m, best suited to a pergola. Sun. No pruning required.

Clematis alpina ‘Frankie’, ‘White Moth’, ‘Willy’ and others. Dainty flowers for spring in shades of blue, pink and white. April-May. Easy, no pruning required.

Clematis viticella purpurea ‘Plena Elegans’ – sumptuous variety with double red-violet nodding flowers, July to Oct. H 3-4m.

Clematis viticella ‘Alba Luxurians’ – a fast growing, good coverage clematis that flowers in abundance, white with a green twist to the edge of the sepals. July – Oct. H 4m. (Viticella types are generally healthy and trouble free. Group 3, so they produce flowers on the current seasons growth and should be reduced to two strong leaf buds in Feb/Mar, this will normally be 30-50cm from ground level. Left unpruned, the plants can become bare of leaves and flowers at the base).

Clematis Flammula – almond scented flowers. Will grow in spots that other plants would not like, for example at the base of a conifer that is very dry and does not see a lot of sunlight. H 4-6m. July-Sept. Sun or part shade. Group 3 (prune as above).

Clematis rehderiana – very unusual species clematis that looks a bit like a nodding cowslip. Sweetly scented. July-Oct. H 3-6m. Sun. Group 3 (prune as above).

Clematis tangutica ‘Bill Mackenzie’ – a good variety to grow up trees and other tall shrubs. Yellow nodding bells in abundance from July-Sept. Attractive seed heads remain after the flowers. H 4-5m. Group 3 (prune as above).

Clematis cirrhosa var. purpurascens ‘Freckles’ – an evergreen variety that flowers Nov- Feb. H 3 -3.5m. Cream background suffused with maroon ‘freckles’. South or West facing position and shelter from heavy winds. No pruning required.

Evergreen foliage to cloth a wall in winter, other than ivy.

Euonymous fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’ or ‘Silver Queen’ – will climb if planted next to a wall or fence.

Euonymous ‘Wolong Ghost’ – vigorous climbing or trailing variety to 1.5m. Elongated leaves.

Muehlenbeckia complexa (Necklace vine) – I’ve used this dainty evergreen as ground cover but have found that, like Euonymous, it will climb upwards too.

General

Akebia quinata (Chocolate vine) – semi-evergreen, climbing to as much as 10m. Clusters of maroon-chocolate flowers with an exotic spicy fragrance. March-May. Prefers a warm position.

Schisandra rubriflora (Chinese magnolia vine) – deciduous twinning climber for part shade. Waxy red blossom in May. 5m.

Actinidia kolomikta – striking deciduous climber with leaves that take on pink and white markings as it matures. Full sun. 5m. Flowers in June.

Actinidia chinensis (Kiwi) – handsome foliage plant for a warm wall.

Solanum crispin ‘Glasnevin’ (Chilean potato tree) – purple-blue scented blooms from summer to autumn creating a pretty spectacular display. 6m. Full sun. Semi evergreen.

Solanum laxa ‘Album’ – Fragrant, star-shaped, bluish-white flowers with tiny, yellow centres. June -Sept. This jasmine-scented climber is valuable for covering sheltered walls or for growing through other shrubs or climbers. Not as hardy as ‘Glasnevin’.

Lonicera caprifolium – early flowering honeysuckle with grey/green foliage that forms circular discs round a central stem. Flowers are creamy yellow. May-June. 4-8m.

Lonicera henryi ‘Copper Beauty’ – semi evergreen honeysuckle with new foliage that emerges a distinctive bronze colour fading to green with age. From early summer the yellow flowers start to appear. 10m.

Golden foliage

Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’ – golden hop. Yellow-green leaves that turn bright golden yellow in autumn, when it is festooned with greenish-yellow, cone-like flowers – hops! Give this one space as it will romp away over an arch or pergola. 6m.

Jasminum officinale ‘Fiona Sunrise’ – scented white jasmine flowers in summer. Foliage starts lime green before turning golden in autumn. Deciduous, but the stems stay golden over winter. 2.5m.

Other jasmines

Jasminum officinale ‘Clotted Cream’ – soft cream coloured flowers, so a variation on the usual white form. 3m.

Jasminum x stephanense – pink flowers on this form. Vigorous growth to 5m.

Trachelospermum jasminoides (Star jasmine) – probably the most popular climber of the moment. Evergreen foliage that that takes on bronze red tones in cold weather, scented white flowers in summer. The flowers are shaped like tiny propellors. Sun, but tolerant of shade, although don’t expect it to flower as freely. It does prefer a warm situation, like against a house wall. 8m.

Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Star of Toscane’ – large, creamy yellow flowers with orange eyes.

New forms of Trachelospermum – ‘Pink Showers’, as the name implies, pink flowers.

‘Ogon Nishiki’, variegated foliage in shades of cream, grey green and bronze tones.

Tropical looking climbers

Campsis radicans ‘Madam Galen’ (red) and ‘Flava’ (yellow) – the Trumpet vine. Strong growing to 10m with trumpet shaped exotic looking flowers late summer. Deciduous. Sun.

Passiflora caerulea – passion flower. Large white flowers and central filaments of purple, blue and white from July to September, followed by egg-shaped, orange-yellow fruit (edible but not tasty). Grows best at the base of a sheltered wall in full sun. 10m. White form – ‘Constance Elliot’.

Exotic annuals

Eccremocarpus scaber (Chilean Glory flower) – perennial in warmer counties. small trumpet flowers in shades of red and orange.

Ipomoea lobata (Spanish Flag) – cascades of flowers, starting flame-red at the tip and fading to cream.

Thunbergia alata ‘African Sunset’ (Black-eyed Susan) – a variety with flowers in all the colours of a spectacular sunset.

Rhodichiton atrosanguineus (Purple Bell Vine) – tender climber from Mexico with long dangling flowers resembling drop earrings. Midsummer to autumn. Each flower is composed of a long, slender, purple-black tube growing out of a chalice-shaped mauve calyx.

Personal favourites

Dicentra scandens – a perennial climber that thrives in shade, with delicate, pale lime yellow teardrop flowers all summer long. Deciduous – regrows from the base each spring. 2.5m.

Tropaeolum speciosum (Scottish flame flower) – elegant climbing aristocrat with dainty deep green clover-like leaves and brilliant frilly edged scarlet flowers in summer. Hardy perennial that loves cold feet and a warm face. Perfect for North or Northeast situations. Often seen grown through yew hedges. 3m.

Schizophragma hydrangeoides integrifolium (Japanese hydrangea vine) – a refined climbing hydrangea with white lacy flowers in June. Slow to establish but less rampant than Hydrangea petiolaris.

Itea ilicifolia – evergreen leaves, slightly toothed like holly, but not prickly. Scented dangling tassels of flowers in late summer. Semi shade preferred but likes warmth of fence or wall. 5m.

Pileostegia viburnoides – neglected evergreen. Slow growing, not flashy, but always with healthy looking foliage and clusters of white flowers in late summer and into autumn. Shade tolerant. 6m.

Vines for autumn colour

All Parthenocissus and Vitus colour up well in the autumn.

Parthenocissus henryana (Chinese Virginia Creeper) – pretty foliage with interesting white and pink veining over green foliage in summer. Turns a glorious red before dropping its leaves. Less rampant than other Virginia creepers. 10m.

Vitus vinifera ‘Purpurea’ – claret red leaves, emerging silvery green, maturing to deep purple. Bunches of small purple grapes in autumn. Grows in most soils in sun. 4m.

Vitus coignetiae (Crimson Glory Vine) – leaves of dinner plate proportions that turn shades of yellow and red in autumn. A big climber to 15m.

Warning – be careful when choosing climbers! Some, like the magnificent Crimson Glory Vine, can grow to great heights. Think about your available support structure and look at the plants own climbing mechanism to help you decide where it would be best positioned and what it can climb up.