Climbing plants for acidic soil
Climbing plants are great for adding texture and colour to gardens, clothing walls and covering up unsightly objects. Given their natural tendancy to climb, they’re also perfect for smaller gardens with less lateral space and walled gardens to give a more natural feel to the surroundings. Certain climbers will succeed better in an acidic soil than others, so careful selection of a suitable variety to handle your low pH soil is key. Hydrangeas are a popular acid-loving climber that have aerial roots, allowing them to self cling to the climbing surface, as opposed to twining climbers that need a support such as a wire or trellis to wind themselves around. They’re fully hardy and versatile, growing well in full sun or shade. If you have a larger area of space to fill we recommend a Virginia Creeper – this is a vigorous climber that will quickly fill any space available to it and may require regular pruning to keep within its bounds. Virginia creeper is also self-clinging and easy to grow with dark green leaves that turn a fiery red during autumn and purple berries during the colder months that act as a source of good for birds. We recommend paying special attention to the eventual heigh and spread of the climbing plant you choose and ideally matching it up with the amount of space you have to cover.