How and why do climbing plants grow on trellis, garden, patios and balconies

Why are Garden Climbing plants Called by this name? What do Garden climbing plants need to be growing "climbers"

Climbing plants became climbers in order to survive in the tropical dark dense forests. The plants needed sunlight to produce food and there was none within the undergrowth. The large plant and trees formed a blanket preventing any sunlight from reaching the small plants. Thus the plants developed unique methods to reach up towards the light they had to climb other plants. There are four identifiable methods which explain how climbing plants climb.

  • Winding plants

  • Using tendrils

  • Making use of rooting suckers

  • Ramblers

  • Winding plants

Winding plants twist their shoots around a structure. The majority of species such as the Runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) wind anticlockwise. Others include morning glory (Ipomoea spp) and wisteria (Wisteria spp). Clockwise winding types include hops (Humulus lupulus) and honeysuckle ( Lonicera spp). Do not force shoots to wind in contrary to their natural direction because this causes them to wither.

Climbing plants with Tendrils

Tendrils curl around support structures. There can be a further classification based on the plant tendrils. There are leaf-tendrils plants and leaf stem tendrils. Leaf- tendril plants such as the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus have tips of the leaves modified into thin tendrils which wind around the support structure. Leaf stem tendrils developed from the stem of the leaf and wind around the branches of other woody support structures.

The ideal support for tendril forming plants should have more vertical arms than horizontal ones. Struts should be thin to allow tendrils to wrap themselves around then easily.

Climbing plants with Root Suckers

Climbing plants develop suckers which they use to wind around a support. The plant uses suckers to cling to walls and can grow to great lengths. The wild vine ( Pathenocissus spp) or Vitis vinifera are perfect examples of plants that use suckers to climb.

Climbing plants with rooting suckers

These Climbing plants climb by using small adapted roots. Suckers enable the plants to climb trees without extra support. The rooting suckers grow along their shoots, allowing them to hold onto support structures. Examples include Ivy (Hedera spp), the climbing hortensia ( Hydrangea anomala petiolaris) and Campsis app. Avoid allowing climbing plants with rooting suckers to climb up walls with defective rendering. This is because there will enter the cracks and damage the masonry.