CHENNAI: Climbing plants add richness to any garden space. They are not only suitable for outdoor spaces like gardens but can also be cultivated in indoor spaces. What’s even better is that certain species of climbing plants can even work well in offices, so you can enjoy the benefits of plants even at your workspace.
A climbing plant is a plant which climbs up trees and other tall objects. Most climber plants are vines whose stems wrap around trees and branches but there are some that use other methods of climbing.
Botanists divide climbing plants into two broad groups — bines and vines. Bines typically twine their stems around an object for support. They have rough stems or downward-pointing bristles to air their grip. The second group is vines. Vines use tendrils or specialised stems used by climbing plants, suckers, thorns and other methods to support themselves.
Some climbing plants require a support system like a trellis, but others don’t. A trellis is a framework made of either light wood or metal bars used as support for climbing plants. You can make your own trellis or buy one at your local garden centre.
You can also use structures like fences, walls, arches and porches to support your climbing plants. But be careful, climbing plants can get heavy so make sure your support system is durable.
There are different ways climbers take support
Tendrils: Skinny structures along the plant’s stem that reach out in the air until they come into contact with structure they can hold on to.
Twiners: There are two types of twiners, twinning leaves or twinning stems. Twinning leaves use their leaves like tendrils. Young leaves twist around wires, string, twigs or other leaves to support itself. Twinning stems twist around whatever they touch, spinning clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the species of plant.
Scramblers: These plants have long, flexible stems that look like vines but are unable to climb on their own. Scramblers sometimes have thorns that help them grip to other stems. If you want to add scramblers to a trellis, tie them with string or wire to neighbouring stem.
Adhesive pads: These plants have stem tendrils with adhesive pads that allow them to stick to many surfaces. If they don’t have vertical support, they can crawl sideways.
Clinging stem roots: The stems of these plants produce short, stout roots that cling to a variety of surfaces.
Where can you grow climbing plants?
Depending on the species of plant you have chosen, you can grow climbing plants in containers, on walls, fences, over pergolas, trellis and along buildings like offices or homes. When deciding which climbing plant to cultivate, research how to grow and prune that specific species of plant to ensure optimal growth.
What are the benefits of climbing plants?
Climbing plants are a beautiful addition to any garden and provide depth and complexity to simple gardening spaces. They also provide shade on those warm summer days. When harvesting these plants indoors, the benefits include reduced stress and increased sense of well-being, improved air quality and reduces background noise.
Some popular climbers are boston ivy, honeysuckle, bougainvillea, morning glory dutchman’s pipe, woodrose, wisteria, Rangoon creeper, flame vine, almanda vine, passion flower, blue trumpet vine, thunbergia and garlic vine.
The author is a landscape designer, architect and founder of Sunshine’s Nest & Gardens