20 Climbing Plant Ideas for Your Garden

As a plant lover and avid gardener, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting climbing plant ideas to add to my collection.

Climbing plants are a fantastic way to add vertical interest and texture to any garden, and they can be trained to grow up walls, trellises, and even other plants.

With so many varieties to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide which ones to add to your garden.

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In this article, I will share 20 of my favorite climbing plant ideas that are sure to inspire you to add some vertical interest to your own garden.

From classic favorites like roses and clematis to lesser-known varieties like passionflower and honeysuckle, there is something for every type of garden and gardener.

Whether you’re looking for a fragrant climber to add to your pergola or a fast-growing vine to cover an unsightly wall, these climbing plants are sure to impress.

01 of 20

American Beauty Rose (Rosa ‘American Beauty’)

Pin Perry Quan / Flickr / CC By 2.0

The American Beauty rose is a climbing rose that adds pops of color to your fence.

While it doesn’t grow to be as tall as some of the climbers on this list, this rose is ideal for smaller trellises or a garden fence.

• USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
• Size: 12 to 15 feet tall, 5 to 8 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

02 of 20

Apple Blossom Clematis (Clematis armandii)

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The flashy blooms on the Apple Blossom Clematis aren’t just for looks—the clusters of flowers also produce an almond-like aroma.

With the proper care and support, this plant climbs to heights of 20 to 40 feet tall and grows to be 20-plus feet wide.

• USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 9
• Size: 20 to 40 feet tall, 20 to 40 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

03 of 20

Arctic Kiwi (Actinidia arguta)

Pin The Spruce / Autumn Wood

This type of hardy kiwi is native to Russia and thrives in subtropical climates.

This climber has gorgeous green leaves with striking white and pink patches, and you can expect ripe fruit in late summer.

• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
• Size: 10 to 12 feet tall, 10 to 12 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Partial shade
• Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy

04 of 20

Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alta)

Pin The Spruce / Michelle Becker

Black-eyed Susan vines are smaller (reaching only 3 to 8 feet tall), but this easy-to-care-for climber adds charm to wherever it climbs.

But while it’s short, this climbing plant grows quickly and can sprout 8 feet in just one growing season.

• USDA Growing Zones: 10 and 11
• Size: 3 to 8 feet tall, 3 to 6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full or partial sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy

05 of 20

Blue Moon Kentucky Wisteria (Wisteria macrostachya)

Pin The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

This climber is native to the southern U.S. and sports clusters of showy blue flowers, which gives the vine its name.

The Blue Moon Kentucky Wisteria’s blooms can grow up to a foot long and, from a distance, look like grapes.

• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 9
• Size: 15 to 25 feet tall, 4 to 8 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

06 of 20

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)

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Bougainvillea, known by both its common and scientific name, is a thorny vine covered in flowers.

When in full sun and properly supported by a trellis or pergola, Bougainvillea can grow up to 40 feet tall.

Or, if you’re looking for some flowering ground cover, this plant can spread along the floor of your garden.

• USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11
• Size: 15 to 40 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

07 of 20

Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata)

Pin The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

The chocolate vine gets its name from the climber’s unique purple-brown flowers and aroma that’s reminiscent of chocolate.

This climbing plant is long and slender, snaking up trellises and winding around pergolas.

It’s also fast-growing and can sprout 40 feet in just one growing season.

• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
• Size: 15 to 30 feet tall, 1 to 2 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy

08 of 20

Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)

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Green leaves and white flowers dance together on climbing hydrangeas.

But tending to this climber is a practice in patience; the vine is slow to grow and can take several years before its characteristic flowers bloom.

• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
• Size: 30 to 50 feet tall, 5 to 6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

09 of 20

Concord Grapes (Vitis labrusca ‘Concord’)

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The Concord grape may have gotten its start in Massachusetts, but the vine can thrive in USDA zones 5 through 9.

This climbing plant is easy to grow and, after two to four years, will save you cash on your grocery store runs once it bears fruit.

• USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 9
• Size: 8 to 10 feet tall, 10 to 12 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained and loamy

10 of 20

Cup and Saucer Vine (Cobaea scandens)

Pin The Spruce / K. Dave

Also called cathedral bells, the cup and saucer vine is dotted with cup-shaped flowers that can be either purple or white.

This plant is typically started from seeds but grows so quickly that you won’t have to wait long for it to scale your trellis.

• USDA Growing Zones: 9 to 11
• Size: 10 to 20 feet long, 3 to 6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

11 of 20

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)

Pin The Spruce / K. Dave

What sets the Cypress vine apart from other climbers is how delicate it looks.

The vine is dotted with star-shaped red flowers against fern-like leaves to add a unique look to your landscape.

• USDA Growing Zones: 11 and 12
• Size: 6 to 15 feet tall, 3 to 6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

12 of 20

Don Juan Rose (Rose ‘Don Juan’)

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Picture the ideal rose, and there’s a good chance it looks like the Don Juan.

The 4-inch blooms are layered with dozens of petals and a deep, velvety red.

With its backdrop of deep green leaves, this climbing plant is absolutely striking wherever it’s planted.

• USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 10
• Size: 9 to 10 feet tall, 6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

13 of 20

Highwire Flyer Rose (Rosa ‘Highwire Flyer’)

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Despite its name, the Highwire Flyer rose isn’t growing to dizzying heights.

Instead, the plant typically reaches 4 to 6 feet in height—making the climber manageable while still tall enough to make it the ideal decoration for a garden fence.

Big, hot pink blooms are its centerpiece.

• USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 8
• Size: 4 to 6 feet tall, 5 to 6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

14 of 20

Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda)

Pin The Spruce / K. Dave

Madagascar jasmine is known for the small, white, and trumpet-shaped flowers decorating its vines.

The plant can grow up to 20 feet tall on your trellis, but it can also double as a houseplant and stick to an easy-to-contain 3 to 4 feet in a pot.

• USDA Growing Zones: 10 to 13
• Size: 10 to 20 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

15 of 20

Mandevilla

Pin​The Spruce / Phoebe Cheong

The Mandevilla genus encompasses a wide variety of flowering vines.

While all have five petals and are shaped like trumpets, the size and color depend on your specific species. 

Mandevilla grow quickly, but only reach about 10 feet maximum and don’t spread wide, so they won’t overgrow in your garden.

• USDA Growing Zones: 10 and 11
• Size: 3 to 10 feet tall, 3 to 4 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

16 of 20

Souvenir de la Malmaison Rose (Rosa ‘Souvenir de la Malmaison’)

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Another variety of climbing rose, the Souvenir de la Malmaison has blush-colored blooms and can grow to be 20 feet tall.

It grows vigorously and is the climber version of a Bourbon rose.

• USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 9
• Size: 20 feet tall, 8 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

17 of 20

Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

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The flowers on the star jasmine vine may be tiny, but they’re fragrant and are known to attract bees to your garden.

Like many other climbing plants, it sprouts up fast—plant it in the spring and you could have 3 to 6 feet of vine scaling a trellis within the year.

• USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 10
• Size: 3 to 6 feet tall, 3 to 6 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

18 of 20

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

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Colorful and fragrant sweet peas are the perfect way to bring a cottagecore look to your garden.

With varieties of pink, blue, white, red, and lavender flowers, this climbing plant makes it easy to add some color to your trellis or pergola, too.

But don’t let the “pea” in their name fool you—these plants are toxic if consumed by humans¹ or pets.²

• USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
• Size: 6 to 8 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

19 of 20

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

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Like this climber’s name suggests, the vine is covered in flowers that look like trumpets in both color and shape.

The long red, orange, or yellow blooms blossom each summer and fuel pollinators like hummingbirds and bees, especially if you install a hummingbird feeder.

• USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 9
• Size: 25 to 40 feet tall, 5 to 10 feet wide
• Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist and well-drained

20 of 20

Yellow Jasmine (Chrysojasminum humile)

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This jasmine vine is another great choice for your garden because they’re a manageable size and easy to care for.

Also known as Italian jasmine, the climber’s sunshine-yellow flowers stand boldly against its green leaves.

• USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 9
• Size: Up to 7 feet tall
• Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Well-drained

Tips and Considerations for Choosing Climbing Plants

Avoid Invasive Species

Before planting anything in your garden, make sure the plant you’ve selected is not invasive to your area, Nicolette McCary, co-owner of Seattle Sustainable Landscapes, says.

Some plants, like Chinese wisteria and porcelain vine will quickly overtake your landscape and may even be illegal in your area.

“One plant to almost always avoid is Morning Glory,” McCary says. “This fast-growing perennial is considered invasive in most states, and is currently illegal to grow, possess, or plant in some states like Arizona.”

Consider Combining Climbers

Growing two climbing plants on a single structure can elevate your garden design, but it should be done with some forethought.

“Climbers, by nature, will tangle and intertwine with each other, using the other’s vines for support,” McCary says. “It’s best to pick two species that will work in tandem rather than choke each other out.”

McCary explains how since they may intertwine, you will have to be ready to either keep both plants or remove all of them, which may be hard to selectively remove once they’ve gotten started.

Be Aware of Toxicity

Some climbers are toxic to consume. While you probably won’t be gnawing on your vines, toxicity is important to consider if you have pets or small children. Do your research beforehand before planting any toxic plants in your garden.³