tropical/exotic climbers?

[stephenprudence]

Any ideas, any fairly unusual ones? (except for Passionflower, Jasmine, Abutilon and the very invasive Ipomea)

[Bob]

I planted a Campsis x tagliabunana 'Madame Galen' in the spring, but I wouldn't comment on it yet as it's little more than a twig atm.

[bev]

not exactly tropical, but with lots of tropical looking flowers, my lonicera brownii 'dropmore scarlet' is fast growing, easily pruned and almost evergreen. unfortunately not scented but does give you a hardy alternative.

cheers

lee

[Nathan]

Mandevilla laxa, not quite as exotic as it's more colourful exotic cousins, but has pretty white flowers that smell like Gardenia...

Or Cobaea scandens, was a perrenial here until last winter...

[mowerman]

Campsis tagleabuana 'Indian summer'.
I've had a large established specimen on a south west wall for the past ten years and it flowers profusely every summer from about mid/late July to end of September. Some text books say it's slightly tender but I've had no problem getting it through the winter unprotected in a container. Needs watering regularly and training when young or it gets too tall with little side growth. Gets admiring comments from visitors who always ask "what is it?"

[Stuart Bebb]

I've been growing a very hardy Kiwi plant for the past two year Actindia arguta and its climbing all over the back fence no fruit on it but the leaves are big and young shoots have a beautiful red colour well worth a try.
cheers Stuart

[Lexic]

not exactly tropical, but with lots of tropical looking flowers, my lonicera brownii 'dropmore scarlet' is fast growing, easily pruned and almost evergreen. unfortunately not scented but does give you a hardy alternative.

cheers

lee

According to crocus it's "An unusual climber for a cottage-style garden". Well based on your recommendation and the photo I thought the flowers looked exotic enough for me. I saw one knocked down to £1.99 from £7.99 so thought it was well worth a punt

[danz]

Hi.have you thought about morning glories(bindweed)you can get some nice half hardy ones and they grow quite quickly. i have grown them from seed up my fence and large tracy.

[Chalk Brow]

Stephen ~ One of my favourite climbers, and one which I regret not having planted in my present garden, is Schizophragma integrifolium (the best of them), a Hydrangea relative, but with very distinctive and unusual flowers. The only problem is that it take a few years before it flowers. When I last grew it I had to wait about six or seven years for the flowers.

The "other" climbing Hydrangea (that is, not H petiolaris, syn H anomala), H seemannii has lovely lacecap flowers and large lustrous deep green leaves that look exotic. I have found it to be a strong grower and preferable to another Hydrangea relative, the climber Pileostegia viburnoides. I have the two sharing a wall, and apart from the Pileostegia's advantage of the scented flowers, the Hydrangea is in every way superior to my eye.

There is as least one exotic looking clematis, C. sieboldii; but I have found it to be a weak grower.

C armandii is a vigorous plant: scented flowers and exotic looking foliage.

But it might be worth looking at clematis, there are so many new varieties, you might find some that fit the description "exotic".

For attractive exotic foliage and scented but understated flowers there is Holboellia; H latifolia and H coriacea I am growing for the first time (recommended by Petefree); I'm very pleased with them so far.

Mutisa has lovely flowers, but is a straggly plant, and I've found short lived.

I'm growing Eccremocaprus scaber for the first time, from seed sown last year, but I'm not sure about its hardiness.

There are some very large leaved ivies, such as Hedera colchica and H caneriensis in variety, although I've found them to be rather rampant.

Related to the ivy there are of courser the various forms of Fatshedera that could be tied into a wall.

I did grow a form of Dutchman's pipe with very small flowers that is hardy (I presume it was a species of Aristolochia), I'm not sure about the hardiness of the larger flowered Aristolochia. Some may behave like herbaceous plants.

Campsis is very showy, but can prove rampant, although it won't grow for me (yet!).

Another one for interesting foliage is Actinidia kolomikta (a kiwi fruit relative), with some leaves tipped white and pink, although it takes a few year or two for this colouration to show.

Muehlenbeckia is more a scrambler, but it will climb given something over which to do so. I've found it very easy to grow, tolerating the most unforgiving conditions. Very tiny leaves.

Another interesting climber is Berberidopsis corallina, the Coral Plant. An evergreen climber with glossy dark green leaves and flowers that look like coral pink berries. I found it not to be an easy plant, and it needs a neutral to acid soil (so I can't grow it in my present garden).

Solanum crispum is another scrambler, the form 'Glasnevin' is frequently recommended. Masses of blue potato like flowers each with a yellow centre.

For something very restrained and refined there is Itea ilicifolia, glossy foliage and long pendant light green/white flowers in summer. (Thinking about this one, it does well on chalk, perhaps I should try it again now my garden is on chalk).

Jasmine I've found to be too rampant.

Not very large growing is Billardiera longiflora, not showy but it has attractive green/white flowers followed by large bright purple-blue berries. Said to require a neutral to acid moist soil. but it grows here!

There are no doubt others, but I mention only those that come to mind and of which I have had some experience.

[metalhammer]

I have a Muehlenbeckia rampaging up a chain link fence,was surprised how well it overwintered,some minor die back.

My Passiflora caerulea died,Campsis is badly damaged,but I think it will survive.

I though caerulea was pretty much bullet proof,survived -9c last winter,but died in -6.5c this winter,but it was cold for 3 months here.

Don't ever plant Solanum 'Glasnevin' on a fence,I did & it pulled down 2 6' x 6' panels.Clematis armandii has world domination ideas as well,does down south,grows like the clappers,mine put on more than 20' of growth in a season.It got the chop,again it was bending my fence.Plant cost a tenner,new fence panels are about £25 + the cost of new posts.




metalhammer.

[marie06]

Chalk Brow - can any of those you listed be grown against an east facing trellis?

[Chalk Brow]

Chalk Brow - can any of those you listed be grown against an east facing trellis?

I would think they would all be able to grow facing East, several of them I have had growing against an east facing wall, and some on a wall facing East-South-East.

Some of them are twiners, and others clingers, the latter might need some tying in on a trelllis. The clingers are: Schizophragma, Hydrangea, Pileostegia and Hedera.