Climbing plants for shade
Climbing plants for shade are perfect for covering north or east facing walls or fences that will be cast into shadow for much of the day and are often colder than other parts of the garden. These places need not look bare – there are a plenty of both twining and self-clinging climbers that will happily clothe them in colour. Ivy is a vigorous climber that will thrive in shade. The native form, Hedera helix, has luscious dark green leaves and there are variegated forms with blotches of gold or lime green that can really help brighten up darker corners of the garden. Many honeysuckles, or climbing lonicera, will thrive in shade as they scramble over walls and fences and have the added benefit of being a magnet for wildlife with their nectar rich flowers and beautiful twining stems. Virginia creeper comes in a variety of forms many with stunning seasonal foliage colours and will happily self-cling to walls cast into shadow for much of the day, making them ideal for north and east-facing boundaries. A few clematis varieties such as Clematis 'Ville de Lyon' and Clematis 'William Kennett' will thrive in shade. Like all clematis, they do best with their roots in cool, moist shade. Be sure to choose a variety that’s happy with your soil type as well by using the “By soil pH” filter below.