We all know the inside of our homes is important when it comes to making a good first impression but the outside is just as important. The yard, lawn, backyard or any outdoor space, is going to leave an impact on your guests too. After all, the walk from the yard to the front door can give a lot of insight for what to expect on the inside.
But how do you make your backyard or outdoor space truly pop? Well, the best answer is by adding some exquisite fast-growing climbing plants. There a great addition for all styles. Down below is a list of the nine best fast-growing climbing plants to add to your outdoor space and help make a statement!
Why You Need Climbing Plants
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Having climbers in your backyard can provide a lot of benefits. First, they are absolutely stunning. Most of them have gorgeous petals and, in combination with their amazing fragrance, they can make an absolutely magnificent addition to any outdoor space. Another positive aspect of all climbing plants is that they allow you to grow more in your garden. Growing up will give you more ground space and essentially double the greenery in your yard.
Climbing plants are fantastic when it comes to providing privacy. Combine a picket fence with climbing plants and you will have a perfect solution to having privacy in your yard. Last but not least, they are great for the environment because they provide plenty of petals for birds, bees, and butterflies. If you're looking to attract beneficial insects and birds to your garden, climbing plants are a perfect way to do so as they play a very important role in pollination.
Moreover, their leaves will fight pollution and can serve as insulation for your home, helping it stay cooler throughout the warmer months and warmer throughout the winter.
9 Fast-Growing Climbing Plants To Add To Your Outdoor Space
1. Wisteria
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This wonderful twining vine has short shoots that can climb trees or buildings excellently. Termed as one of the best fragrant outdoor plants, pods, similar to the ones of pole beans, follow its strings of lilac flowers. Initially, wisteria will need to be guided in the right direction, however, once placed, it will easily find its way. Wisteria can grow at a rate of five to eight feet per year and it can reach up to 65 feet after 10 years. However, you must be careful when planting it - it can be fairly invasive and can steal crucial nutrients from other plants.
Pro Tip: These plants love all the attention they can get, but ensure that the wall they'll be climbing on is sturdy. They require at least six hours of direct sunlight and moist, well-drained soil to thrive. Prune them in February and again in August. In Spring, don't forget to feed them with a high potash fertilizer to boost flower growth.
2. Ornamental Vine
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This is a grapevine that, in its mature state, can reach about 80 feet or more! While it may seem impractical when it comes to collecting the fruit, its gorgeous scarlet and crimson leaves during the Fall make it a head-turner in each garden. During these times, it becomes a spectacular sight, and it is also a great help to wildlife since its fruit can feed small mammals and birds.
Pro Tip: Although they don't attract many pests, they are prone to fungal infection, so you may need to spray with a fungicide accordingly. For deep red foliage in Autumn, you'll need to plant them in full sun. They're a great cover for pergolas!
3. Rambling Rose
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Unlike most other roses, this type can be incredibly sturdy and can grow 15 to 20 feet tall. Fortunately, they come in a variety of shades - their petals are either white, salmon, pink or an off-white yellow. Their fragrance is an excellent way to attract birds and bees in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. They are absolutely spectacular and are an even better addition to your garden than roses themselves.
Pro Tip: Rambling roses don't need hard pruning, but trimming it back will help shape your plant. To lessen the growth, entirely remove one in three of the oldest stems and let new stems take their place by tying them down. They grow well on pergolas, trellises, and over archways!
4. Poet’s Jasmine
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Many people prefer this fast-growing climbing plant because of its absolutely magnificent scent, which is out of this world. Its clusters of fragrant petals can have a very overpowering scent that may be overwhelming for some people. Growing up to 15 feet, this plant flowers from June to September. Either way, it is a gorgeous and fragrant addition to any garden and will certainly make heads turn.
Pro Tip: A single vine is enough to diffuse jasmine fragrance in the garden or room, so if this is intimidating, the Poet's Jasmine might not be the right plant for you. That said, to boost growth, the plant responds well to severe pruning immediately after its blooms fade.
5. Morning Glory
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If you're looking for plants that attract hummingbirds to your garden, you can't go wrong with Morning Glory. This plant doesn’t grow as big as the ones mentioned beforehand, but it doesn’t make it any less magnificent. Growing as tall as 10 feet, the morning glory has magnificent flowers that are a dazzling blue, purple, pink, or white color. Bearing heart-shaped leaves and funnel-shaped blooms, this is a fantastic climbing plant for your garden. Not only is it fast-growing, but it is also easy to maintain. Unfortunately, it is not as hardy as the other plants mentioned above.
Pro Tip: This plant can be an aggressive climber. To keep it in check, and encourage more blooms, you should prune occasionally and deadhead spent flowers. Cotton aphids are known to attack morning glories, so when you see wilting or crinkling leaves, it means your plant needs help.
6. Orange Peel Clematis
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If you want to plant the best blooms for butterfly habitat, the Orange Peel Clematis should be on your list of plants to include in your outdoor space. The clematis is a fast-growing climbing plant that comes in many shapes and sizes.
This fairly unpretentious plant, with yellow bell-shaped flowers that turn orange when they mature, can grow in most soils. They bloom from July to August and can grow from six to 12 feet high! However, this plant requires regular watering, especially if you planted it with the intention of growing it out into a tree. It will respond well to being pruned if it gets out of control.
Pro Tip: This plant needs regular pruning to prevent it from becoming a tangled mess of stems! Pruning will also ensure that the plant doesn't become bare at the bottom and has flowers only at the top. This plant works well on rock walls and vertical spaces but is poisonous to humans and animals when consumed.
7. Ornamental Kiwi Vine
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The ornamental kiwi vine, Arctic Beauty Kiwi, has large, bold leaves, which are sometimes white on their outer part and pink and green on their inner one. They have small, white, and amazingly fragrant flowers that usually open up during the first weeks of Summer. They are quite fast-growing and can grow anywhere from 10 to 30 feet long. Some of the plants can even grow fruits that are about the size of a grape and can be eaten without peeling.
Pro Tip: To help this plant grow high, you'll need to help bind it by hand as it grows by twining its shoots around a support structure. They prefer trellis or wire rope arrangements to make their way up.
8. Trumpet Vine
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This is a very hardy climbing plant that can develop pretty much anywhere and can grow up to 40 feet high. With dark leaves which resemble rose leaves, the trumpets vine scarlet flowers usually open up in Summer and Fall. They're also called the hummingbird vine because these plants attract hummingbirds. It can be grown in pretty much any soil, however, it will need full sun to thrive.
Pro Tip: This plant requires regular pruning to keep it under control. You can prune in early Spring or Fall and deadhead flower pods to prevent it from growing in other unplanned areas of your landscape. These plants make an excellent addition to naturalized landscape designs, but shouldn't be planted near a defensible area of your outdoor space since they have an extreme flammability rating.
9. Mountain Clematis
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If you're looking for flowering plants that attract pollinators, here's one you shouldn't miss. This plant brings clusters of small pink, purple, blue, or white flowers that usually bloom in late Spring to create an exquisite and peaceful picture in your backyard. It loves sunlight and wouldn't mind clinging to trees and branches to grow higher so it can get the amount of sunlight it requires to blossom. Growing up to 40 feet high and spreading 15 feet in width, this plant requires regular pruning to prevent it from growing out of control.
Pro Tip: To make the most out of this plant, grow it on your patio, vertical spaces, or walkways. Please note that this plant is poisonous to pets and can cause skin redness in humans. Always wear gloves when handling this plant and do not consume it.
The Only Way is Up
Having a gorgeous backyard is not only a matter of furniture and decoration but also of all the plants you have. However, sometimes your regular flowers are not enough to create a wow effect. This is where fast-growing climbing plants come into play. They provide you with privacy, they are good for the environment and, on top of all else, they are absolutely stunning. This is why we compiled this list of the nine best fast-growing climbers to add to your outdoor space.
Hopefully, this article inspired you and helped you create a relaxing yet head-turning backyard. If it was helpful, please share it with your friends and family and let us know what your favorite fast-growing climbing plants are in the comment section down below!
Happy Gardening!