Top ten Ground Cover Creeper and Climber Plants

Creeping into our Hearts

Creepers, Climbers, Vines and Bines are great additions to any garden. They help create lush green spaces, cool down hot gardens and green up small spaces. If you have a small courtyard, garden climbers can be a perfect start to introducing plant life to your area. They don’t need much root space; a pot or a small garden bed is more than enough.

A rambling vine over a pergola can create a stunning backdrop for your entertaining areas whilst keeping the sun at bay. Choose something deciduous to let the sun back in over the cooler and darker winter months.

Training a climber onto some trellis is a cost-effective way of creating the illusion of a full and luscious hedge or screen when you’re looking for some privacy from those pesky apartments that just went in next door.

Adding the extra foliage to your garden has a cooling effect and helps create a microclimate around your home which is a cheap and stylish way to cut down on air conditioning!

Parthenocissus tricuspidata – Boston Ivy

Parthenocissus tricuspidata – Boston Ivy

A deciduous vine from the grape family, Boston Ivy is a stylish stand out in gardens. Large fresh green leaves during Spring and Summer, turning red in Autumn, this lovely self-adhering climber has a beautiful spread over most surfaces reaching to lengths of 20 meters and above.

Parthenocissus quinquefolia – Virginia Creeper

Parthenocissus quinquefolia – Virginia Creeper

Similar to the Boston Ivy the Virginia Creeper is also a deciduous self-adhering climber that turns brilliant shades of oranges, yellows and reds during Autumn. Used in some very special gardens around Melbourne the Virginia creeper is the landscape designers’ top choice. Virginia creeper looks amazing and will drape curtains of foliage over a pergola.

Trachelospermum jasminoides – Star Jasmine

Trachelospermum jasminoides – Star Jasmine

A classy, evergreen climber producing small, fragrant, white flowers from Spring all the way through summer. A plant that can thrive in most conditions and will look great in any aspect of the garden.

Ficus pumila – Creeping Fig

Ficus pumila – Creeping Fig

Another self-adhering evergreen climber that sticks tightly to walls creating a striking visual effect. One of the most popular climbers in Melbourne. Keep it pruned close to the surface for the textured immature leaves or let it fill out for the thick, glossy mature foliage.

Clematis Armandii – Evergreen Clematis

Clematis armandii Evergreen Clematis local plant nursery

Image source: peganum from Small Dole, England, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

For shady protected parts of your garden. Flowers profusely with the prettiest white flowers in late winter to early Spring. When your garden is looking a little sad after a long winter this climber is a jaw dropping addition in the garden.

Vitis vinifera – Ornamental Grape Vine

Vitis vinifera Ornamental Grape Vine local plant nursery

Great for pergolas and entertaining areas where you need protection from the sun in Summer but want to lap up that precious winter light. This vine has that lush Mediterranean feel and is known for its extraordinary autumnal display.

Wisteria SPP – Wisteria

Wisteria ssp - Wisteria local plant nursery

A vigorous climber, flowering in early spring before sprouting new leaves. A classic look for your garden, wall, or pergola. The trunk of the vine can be vigorous in its growth and size so be careful with delicate structures. Give it an annual clean up and you’ll have a very elegant look to your home.

Passiflora SSP – Passionfruit

Passiflora ssp Passionfruit local plant nursery

If you’re after a climber that also produces fruit this is a wonderful choice. Plant in a hot and sunny spot in your garden for mouthwatering fruit crops. The passionfruit leaf is glossy and beautifully lime in colour, with very large, unusual flowers. Make sure to source non-grafted varieties to avoid root stock weeds taking over your garden.

Bougainvillea SSP – Paper Flower

Bougainvillea ssp Paper Flower local plant nursery

Colours to die for! Flowers last all Summer and long into Autumn. An extremely low maintenance, hardy climber that thrives off neglect. For a great show of colour, plant in a very sunny hot spot in your garden. Try planting in front of a white wall to really make that colour pop!