24 climbing plants

Climbing plants are a great resource so that not even the vertical spaces of our garden can resist being covered in green. Their ability to hold onto vertical surfaces with different resources, such as their adventitious roots or tendrils, makes them ideal for covering walls, pergolas or facades with the beautiful mantle of their leaves and flowers.

If you want to learn more about these plants and discover some of their species, join us in this article where you will see a guide to 24 climbing plants with their names and photos .

Characteristics and types of climbers

There are many types of climbing plants , which differ mainly in the way in which they climb or attach to surfaces. These differences are worth a look:

Creeper plants

It is very common to make the mistake of thinking that vines and climbing plants are synonymous, but in reality climbing plants are simply one type of climbing plant. These are characterized by having long and flexible stems, which have the ability to wrap themselves around any support that acts as a tutor, such as posts or wires. There are indoor climbing plants and outdoor climbing plants. Some names of creeper plants are bignonia, ivy and clematis (this plant can be seen in the image below and it is the one on the left side).

Climbers with tendrils

This type of climber has adapted some of its leaves to form the so-called tendrils, small elongated and twisted filaments that serve the plant to attach itself to the surfaces within its reach and, thus, climb on it and cover large vertical surfaces.

Supportive climbers

Supporters need a structure to support climbing plants , as they cannot support or attach to surfaces by themselves. Thus, when planting them it will be necessary to give them adequate support.

Autonomous climbers

These are climbers with the ability to produce small aerial or adventitious roots on their stems. Thanks to them they adhere to all types of surfaces without help, hence they receive their name of autonomous. They are one of the most used wall climbing plants .

Climbing plants with thorns

They are climbing plants with thorns those that develop them to bind them to any structure or guide that makes them support. A very characteristic example of them are climbing roses (this plant can be seen in the image below and it is the one on the right side).

Let’s now see different examples of climbing plants, their names, characteristics and photos .

Monstera deliciosa or Adam’s rib

Usually called Adam’s rib , this autonomous evergreen climber stands out for its large leaves of up to one meter, with bracts that divide as they grow, reminiscent of ribs. It is one of the most striking flowering climbing plants , being both this and the large fruit, although the latter is very toxic in its early stages, so we must be careful with pets and small children.

Vine or grapevine, one of the most famous climbing plants

Scientific name Vitis vinifera , this is one of the best-known climbing plants in the world. It is native to central and southern Europe, as well as Southwest Asia, and owes its popularity to its fruit, the grape, consumed both by itself and to make wine. It is a crop with a great economic weight worldwide, and it is a climbing plant that uses tendrils to hold on to its guide.

Bougainvillea or bougainvillea

Its scientific name is Bougainvillea spectabilis , and it is a very popular supportive climber among gardening enthusiasts. It is an evergreen shrub and is one of the easiest fast-growing climbing plants to see decorating all types of gardens, facades and terraces, thanks mainly to the striking and vivid colors of its bracts, in a wide variety of tones. It requires a lot of sun and does not support very cold climates.

Campsis radicans or trumpet creeper

It is also called Virginia jasmine, trumpet vine, or red bignonia . This is one of the three most appreciated, since it gives trumpet-shaped blooms of a showy orange-red color and very pretty. It is one of the fastest growing flowering vines , which is also very resistant and requires little care. It is native to North America.

Californica rose

The Californian rose is a climbing shrub with thorny stems. It is a deciduous climbing plant, known mainly for the great perfume of its flowers, which are also brightly colored and highly decorative, with shades ranging from white to magenta. It doesn’t need direct exposure to light, but it can be considered one of the sun’s climbing plants , as it supports it well.

Bush royal jasmine

Its scientific name is Jasminum grandiflorum . It is a perennial climbing plant , popular for its brightly colored flowers and intense aroma , which will make any garden or space more pleasant. It reaches heights of about 120 cm, and needs a good amount of sun and water, the latter especially if we want its flowers to have their characteristic aroma.

Hops, one of the most famous climbing plants

Commonly known for being one of the base ingredients of beer , this is one of the most widely used climbing plants to cover facades and high-rise structures, since it needs supports of around 6 meters. Hops is a perennial plant native to northern and central Europe, where it has its ideal climate.

In love with the wall or Ficus pumila

With a scientific name Ficus pumila , it is one of the most used climbing plants for walls and walls. Its popularity is due to its rapid growth, which allows it to cover large areas in a short time, in addition to the fact that it requires very little maintenance. It originates from tropical Asia and clings to air-rooted surfaces . It is also common to find it grown in hanging pots, so that its branches end up reaching the wall.

Wisteria

It is also called wisteria , although this is actually a species of the broader genus. Wisteria is a climbing plant that can reach heights of up to 15 meters, and due to its powerful growth it can develop with the bearing of a tree. Its long life can last up to a century under the right conditions, and it is well known for its lovely bouquets of hanging violet, purple or white flowers .

Hedera helix

This very fast growing type of ivy can reach heights of up to 30 meters, making it very suitable for covering large surfaces or facades. It is native to the peninsular forests and has two varieties widely used as indoor plants: Hedera helix Pittsburgh and Hedera helix Chicago .

Hedera canariensis or Canary ivy

This other ivy has its origin in Africa and the Canary Islands, the latter being what it owes its name to. With this in mind, it is easy to understand why Hedera canariensis or Canarian ivy does not withstand cold climates. One of its peculiarities is that its leaves change their color depending on the season, taking on browner tones in winter and recovering an intense green in summer.

Ipomea, one of the most beautiful flowering climbing plants

Being the ipomeas a whole genus of plants, it is common to use this name to refer to the bluebell , which is the Ipomoea purpurea or Don Diego by day . Among the climbing plants to cover fences , this is a very common and used, thanks to its rapid growth and in hot climates it is perennial. Its flowers are funnel-shaped, in very striking shades of violets and pinks, which open and close with the presence or absence of light. There are other species of ipomeas with the flowers of other colors, such as blue, white or red tones.

Lathyrus odoratus or flower pea

The most common names for this climbing plant are flower pea or sweet pea . It is, indeed, a kind of annual type peas, which is subject to guides and tutors by means of its tendrils. The red, pink, white, or purple flowers of the Lathyrus odoratus plant are very pretty, and they bloom in spring and usually end up wilting in hotter summer temperatures.

Passiflora, passionflower or Passion flower

Passiflora is a whole genus of lianas, coming from the warm climate zones of Oceania, Australia and Asia. They are usually called the Passion flower and are popular for their large and spectacular flowers, with great colors and shapes that are impossible to mistake. They are evergreen and develop vertically with their tendrils, or creeping if they do not find surfaces to cling to. Also, did you know that passionflower is the plant that bears the fruit known as passion fruit ?

Some of its most common species are Passiflora caerulea , Passiflora edulis, and Passiflora quadrangularis . Here you can see their photos in order.

Honeysuckle

This climber is very popular for its fragrant flowers, which appear in autumn, and for its exuberant, liana-shaped demeanor. The fruits of the honeysuckle are edible and are used above all to beautify grids and pergolas, as well as trees with an unsightly trunk. This is one of the climbing plants with very fragrant flowers that is also very fast growing and reaches heights of up to five meters.

Dipladenia or mandevilla

Also known as mandevilla, they are a whole botanical genus with a large number of species, such as Mandevilla sanderi or Mandevilla laxa . They are native to South America and are evergreen climbing plants . Its stems lack tendrils and grow to heights of no more than 6 meters, and it stands out for its pretty trumpet-shaped flowers , with shades ranging from white to red, passing through yellow. All of them give off a great aroma. It is necessary to mention that it is toxic, so it should not be ingested.

Dama de noche, a very aromatic climbing plant

This shrub, with the scientific name Cestrum nocturnum , has its star moment when it gets dark, which is when its small white flowers open and give off their intense and pleasant aroma . The lady at night climbing plant is very popular in gardens precisely because of its ability to enrich the environment at sunset, but it does not withstand low temperatures well.

Akebia quinata

Popularly known as a chocolate climbing plant , it is a climbing plant whose origin is in China, Korea and Japan. It is deciduous, although in hot climates it can become perennial. It is recognizable by its leaves, which are grouped in quintets, and its flowers, which appear in spring, are of a striking magenta color and a characteristic pungent smell.