Several climbing plants on one wall ~ is that possible? But of course ~ as long as the plants you choose thrive in the same conditions and can grow compatibly side by side without growing significantly into each other. It gets more complicated with the latter scenario when plants on the same support system and same section of wall intertwine…
Various climbing plants -- be they woody perennials, herbaceous perennials, or annuals -- can easily co-existence on your facade. Maybe you've seen such combinations from display gardens, where various types of grapevines and roses, for example, grow happily side by side.
One has to be aware, however, of the growth habit and vigour of each of the plants, as the more vigorous climbers (silver lace vine (Fallopia baldschuanica), wisteria, clematis vitalba) will readily overgrow and smother the others. Pruning back the different plants with their individual requirements ('species-specific cut') becomes more difficult when their shoots have become intertwined. Nevertheless, many combinations are possible, as shown below! We recommend planting the plants in separate planting holes or well separated from each other in a planting trench. If there is only one planting hole available, it is best to keep the rootballs of the individual plants separated by root barriers.
This is about the combination of leaf-emphasising plants that tend not to have flowers and are simply ‘just green’. Even a combination of two or more different ivy varieties (see photo) can break up a wall of foliage. Combinations that include an evergreen plant, such as ivy (Hedera) or evergreen honeysuckle (Lonicera henryii) or akebia (Akebia quinata), are generally popular. Plants that provide decorative foliage colouring in autumn also play a special role, such as all red ornamental vines (Parthenocissus - red), the pipevine (Aristolochia - yellow) or the bittersweet (Celastrus - yellow).
Some climbing plants have wonderfully lush foliage (resulting in high surface coverage) but are reticent when it comes to blooming. Supplementation can be useful here, i.e. a combination of ‘foliage plants’ and ‘flowering plants’. It makes sense then to combine the '5-star' leafy climbers with flowering friends. Most popular vines are the ivy(Hedera helix), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia 'Engelmannii'), woodbine (Parthenocissus vitacea), Bostonivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) or the grapevine (Vitis vinifera), which are then combined with flowering annuals. These can be grown in separate pots, watered and fertilised separately, removed yearly in late autumn, and brought out again in spring for re-planting. Where large facades are greened with self-clinging climbers, flower (window) boxes can provide beautiful splashes of colour.
Climbing plants with different flowers can also be combined in a façade greening system! A much loved and undeniable duo are the clematis and climbing rose. There are enthusiastic fans, but also critics of this combination. Annual climbers can also be easily combined. The art lies in coordinating their flowering times ~ so, chooding the species that allow for either a simultaneous blooming or one that is staggered.
Fassadengrün is a commercial supplier of stainless steel wire rope systems in Germany, Europe and overseas. Information about: Which plants are suitable, are climbing aids necessary, should they be made of wood or metal? Here at FassadenGrün you will find all the information you need from a single source.
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