20 Exceptional Evergreen Climbers With Options For Every Garden
Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By COLIN SKELLY
Colin is a Horticulturist and Horticultural Consultant with experience in a range of practical and managerial roles across heritage, commercial and public horticulture. He holds the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture award and has a particular interest in horticultural ecology and naturalistic planting for habitat and climate resilience.
IN THIS GUIDE
- 1) Akebia quinata
- 2) Ceanothus americanus
- 3) Clematis armandii
- 4) C. cirrhosa
- 5) Cotoneaster
- 6) Euonymus fortunei
- 7) Garrya elliptica
- 8) Hedera colchica
- 9) H. helix
- 10) Holboellia latifolia
- 11) Hydrangea seemannii
- 12) Lonicera henryi var. subcoriacea
- 13) L. japonica
- 14) Muehlenbeckia complexa
- 15) Passiflora caerulea
- 16) Pileostegia viburnoides
- 17) Pyracantha
- 18) Solanum crispum
- 19) Stauntonia hexaphylla
- 20) Trachelospermum jasminoides
- References
If you are looking for an evergreen climber for your garden then look no further, because I’ve compiled a list of 20 great options for you to consider.
While not every option will necessarily suit every garden, situation and aspect, you should find something that will suit your needs below.
1) Akebia quinata
- COMMON NAME(S): chocolate vine / akebia
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
This rather unusual climber, also known as the chocolate vine, could be an evergreen climber option for warmer and more sheltered gardens in the British Isles.
The exotic reddish-maroon flowers have a spicy fragrance and are most colourful when grown in a location in full sun.
If the summer is particularly warm, then after the flowers can come large, sausage-shaped fruits.
These fruits are edible, though with a rather insipid taste.1Akebia quinata. (n.d.). North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/akebia-quinata/
The soft young shoots of the plants are also edible and are used in salads.2Akebia quinata. (n.d.-b). The Agroforestry Research Trust. Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://www.agroforestry.co.uk/product/akebia-quinata/
2) Ceanothus americanus
- COMMON NAME(S): Indian tea / mountain sweet / wild snowball
- HARDINESS RATING: H7
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: sand or loam; any pH
With stunning blue flowers that are occasionally pink or white, C. americanus offers several evergreen options for your garden.
Though these are wall shrubs rather than climbers, they look wonderful trained against a wall or fence.
There are options which bloom in spring, summer or autumn.
One option, for example, is the AGM-winning variety ‘Cascade’, which, like other ceanothus, has beautiful blooms and looks lovely against a sunny and sheltered south-facing wall or fence.
3) Clematis armandii
- COMMON NAME(S): armand clematis
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring
- SUNLIGHT: full sun
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; alkaline to neutral pH
This large and vigorous evergreen climber is a clematis with star-like creamy flowers borne in the spring from March to April.
These blooms have an almond-like fragrance.
This is another option that will do well in full sun in a sheltered spot out of drying winds.
This climber will also do best in a position with a south or west-facing aspect, in moist but well-drained soil.
It can grow around 5m tall with a spread of around 3m once it reaches maturity if it is happy in the location in which it is positioned.
4) C. cirrhosa
- COMMON NAME(S): evergreen clematis
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): winter / spring
- SUNLIGHT: full sun
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: chalk, loam, sand; any pH
This clematis is also evergreen and grows to around 3m tall with a spread of up to 2.5m.
The flowers it produces in late winter and early spring are around 6.5cm across and are a creamy yellow shade, sometimes with red mottles inside.
These are then followed by silky seed heads that are also extremely ornamental.
This is another climber that prefers a position in full sun, with a south or west-facing aspect.
It will flower best in a position that is as warm and sheltered as possible.
In colder areas, it might also be grown in a container and overwintered undercover.
5) Cotoneaster
- COMMON NAME(S): cotoneaster
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
Though cotoneasters are not truly climbers, a number of species can be coaxed to cover walls or fences and can look lovely when pinned into place and enticed to do so.
C. horizontalis is the species that is most commonly used for this purpose, but this can be an invasive plant, so opting for a different cotoneaster could be a better choice.
For example, you might consider the AGM awarded C. conspicuus ‘Decorus’, also known as the Tibetan cotoneaster, which is also suitable as a wall shrub.
“Cotoneaster looks great trained vertically and forms a tight structure with its branches,” shares Colin Skelly, a Horticultural Consultant.
“They may lose most of their leaves by the end of the winter but will quickly return in spring.
“Their flowers are a valuable resource for pollinators early in the season but its red berries are also popular with birds in autumn.”
6) Euonymus fortunei
- COMMON NAME(S): spindle / winter creeper
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer
- SUNLIGHT: any
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
These extremely popular evergreen shrubs are climbing if planted against a wall and are a popular choice for year-round colour and appeal in UK gardens.
There are several different cultivars to choose from, including popular variegated varieties such as ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and ‘Silver Queen’.
Plant these Euonymus in full sun or, better yet, partial shade, in moist but well-drained soil and you will find they make an excellent foliage plant year-round and nicely cover a wall or fence.
7) Garrya elliptica
- COMMON NAME(S): silk tassel bush / fever bush
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): winter / spring
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
Also known as the silk tassel bush, this is an impressive wall shrub or small tree that can grow to 4.5m tall in milder gardens.
The leaves are a dark green on top and felted grey underneath.
Long, greyish-green catkins appear in January and February, bringing interest early in the year.
Plant this against a wall with any aspect, in full sun or partial shade.
However, make sure that the soil is well-drained, as even though it is unfussy about certain things, this plant cannot cope with waterlogged soil.
8) Hedera colchica
- COMMON NAME(S): Persian ivy
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn / winter
- SUNLIGHT: any
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
Persian ivy is a self-clinging climber that is extremely vigorous and can spread over a large area.
It has dark green leathery leaves that are up to 20cm in length and small yellowish-green flowers that are followed by black berries.
This type of ivy can grow in a range of conditions, but will thrive especially in a humus-rich and fertile alkaline soil.
It can be a versatile option, growing well in anything from full sun to deep shade.
Just make sure that you grow it in a place where it will not damage the materials on which it grows.
9) H. helix
- COMMON NAME(S): common ivy / ivory / bindwood
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): autumn
- SUNLIGHT: any
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
Another ivy, of course, is common ivy, also known as English ivy.
This is another vigorous and self-clinging climber with glossy evergreen leaves.
Often, those leaves have pale, white veins and they may also have autumn colour or variegation.
Once mature, plants can cover extremely large areas and bushy, non-clinging branches will be produced, which have diamond leaves and flower clusters of greenish-yellow flowers that are followed by autumn berries.
10) Holboellia latifolia
- COMMON NAME(S): broad-leaved sausage vine
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring
- SUNLIGHT: any
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
A more unusual and perhaps less familiar evergreen climber is the broad-leaved sausage vine.
Vigorous and quick when climbing over walls or fences with its glossy green leaves, sometimes tinged purple-bronze in new growth, it can produce fragrant flowers in spring.
The flowers are made up of greenish-white males and purplish females, all with an elongated sausage-like shape.
This can be grown on a wall with any aspect, even in the deep, cool shade, but they will not produce flowers successfully without some sun.
11) Hydrangea seemannii
- COMMON NAME(S): seemann’s hydrangea
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer
- SUNLIGHT: any
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: clay, loam, sand; any pH
A woody evergreen wall shrub with aerial roots and thick, leathery leaves around 15cm long, this climbing hydrangea bears attractive white flowers and bracts with domed heads in the summer.
Though these climbers will tolerate only a few degrees of frost, they can cope in many UK gardens, as long as the soil is well-drained and has plenty of well-rotted organic matter.
12) Lonicera henryi var. subcoriacea
- COMMON NAME(S): Henry’s honeysuckle
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
This vigorous honeysuckle can grow up to 8 metres long.
It has dark green lanceolate leaves and red and yellow tubular flowers which are borne in the summer months and are followed by black berries.
It will grow in full sun but will do best in partial shade when it is provided with an east, north or west-facing aspect.
This climber requires fertile and well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter.
13) L. japonica
- COMMON NAME(S): Japanese honeysuckle / gold and silver flower
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring / summer
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: clay or loam; any pH
Another evergreen honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle is even more vigorous and large, growing to around 10m in height.
It has dark green leaves up to around 8cm long and bears its blooms over a long period from spring to late summer.
The flowers are very fragrant, white, ageing to yellow and purple flushed, and are followed by bluish-black ornamental berries.
Again, this climber grows best in part shade, but can tolerate full sun as long as the soil is moist but free-draining and fertile.
14) Muehlenbeckia complexa
- COMMON NAME(S): necklace vine / Australian ivy
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: chalk, loam, sand; any pH
Also known as ‘Necklace Vine’ or ‘Australian Maidenhair Vine’, this climber has small evergreen leaves that it can keep year-round in a suitably mild and sheltered position.
Creating dense tangles of slender, wiry stems, the plant can spread up to 3m wide.
Grow this climber in full sun or light shade with shelter from cold winds in moist but well-drained soil.
This plant is H3 hardy, so is really only an option for year-round growing in a mild or a coastal part of the UK.
15) Passiflora caerulea
- COMMON NAME(S): blue passion flower / blue crown
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer / autumn
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: chalk, loam, sand; any pH
Another option for milder gardens, or to bring undercover to overwinter indoors, is the blue passion flower.
This is a very quick-growing and vigorous climber and care is required, as it may be too vigorous and even invasive in some locations.
However, it is not only a dramatic and impressive ornamental with summer flowers but also bears edible fruits thereafter, so it could be well worth considering.
It may only be semi-evergreen in some locations but can be fully so in milder areas.
16) Pileostegia viburnoides
- COMMON NAME(S): climbing hydrangea
- HARDINESS RATING: H5
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer / autumn
- SUNLIGHT: any
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
This is a slow-growing, self-clinging climber that can eventually reach 8m in height with a spread of 1.5m.
It has narrow, oval leaves that are around 15cm long and bears panicles of small, white flowers in summer and into autumn.
This is a versatile evergreen climber that can grow in full shade, partial shade or full sun.
It can grow on a wall which has any aspect, as long as it does not get very cold and the soil is fertile and well-drained.
17) Pyracantha
- COMMON NAME(S): firethorn
- HARDINESS RATING: H6
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: all soil types; any pH
Pyracanthas can often make excellent evergreen wall shrubs to cover a wall or fence.
They are well known for their pretty flowers and for the attractive red, orange or yellow berries they bear throughout autumn and winter.
Pyracantha wall shrubs can be great choices for cities as they are tolerant of pollution.
They work well in full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained fertile soil.
18) Solanum crispum
- COMMON NAME(S): potato tree
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer / autumn
- SUNLIGHT: full sun
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: chalk, clay, sand; alkaline to neutral pH
This climbing shrub can also be evergreen or semi-evergreen in milder areas, though will lose its leaves in colder gardens.
Large and vigorous, it has ovate leaves and fragrant purple flowers with yellow at the centre that are borne in summer in large, open clusters.
This wall shrub will do best in moist but well-drained soil that has an alkaline or neutral pH.
Grow it in full sun with shelter from cold and drying winds.
An east or south-facing aspect is best.
19) Stauntonia hexaphylla
- COMMON NAME(S): stauntonia vine
- HARDINESS RATING: H3
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): spring
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: chalk, loam, sand; any pH
Stauntonias are vigorous evergreen climbers that can also work well in milder UK gardens.
This option bears fragrant pink flowers that are 2cm long, which can sometimes be followed by edible purplish fruits that grow to around 5cm across.
Grow this climber in any aspect, in full sun or partial shade.
Ensure the soil it grows in is well-drained and place it in a sheltered position that is as mild as possible, as this option is only H3 hardy.
20) Trachelospermum jasminoides
- COMMON NAME(S): star jasmine / Chinese ivy
- HARDINESS RATING: H4
- FLOWERING SEASON(S): summer
- SUNLIGHT: full sun / part shade
- SOIL REQUIREMENTS: chalk, loam, sand; any pH
Last but certainly not least, you might consider star jasmine.
This evergreen climber is a favourite for milder gardens and also for conservatory or greenhouse cultivation, with dark green leaves that turn bronze in winter and white fragrant flowers that are borne from mid to late summer.
It should be grown in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade, with shelter and protection from cold, drying winds, or indoors in full light out of the direct sun.
The options above are, of course, not your only choice, but if you are looking for evergreen climbers, then checking out those listed above is a great place to start.
