7 climbing plants for acidic soil
To green a wall, a pergola or a trellis
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There are plenty of plants that thrive in acidic soils! Among them, some climbing plants adapt to this kind of situation. Ideal for dressing a wall, a pergola, a trellis or an old tree, climbing plants brighten all vertical surfaces, which can be found in a garden or on a balcony. Practical for shielding you from the gaze of passers-by or neighbours, sheltering you from wind or sun, they double as both a privacy screen and a greenery backdrop to feel immersed in nature. As with other plants, climbing plants thrive when you respect their growing conditions. Discover our selection of climbing plants suitable for planting in acid soil or heather soil.
Bougainvillea 'Violet de Mèze', a colourful Mediterranean climbing plant.
If you love Mediterranean vibes, the Bougainvillea ‘Violet de Méze’ is among the hardiest of the species. It can withstand temperatures down to -8°C. With its bright light-violet flowering, it lights up the garden or balcony with its small colourful floral bracts for many months, from May to September. Plant this climbing plant in full sun, in fertile, light, well-drained soil that is low in lime, of heather soil type or acidic. This sarmentous bush climbs along a support up to 5 metres in height. Its semi-evergreen foliage is mid-green and satiny.
To bring a very colourful and Mediterranean touch to your garden, pair Bougainvillea ‘Violet de Méze’ with other bougainvilleas of a different colour, but just as striking, such as Bougainvillea ‘Deep Red’.
Clematis 'Early Sensation', a cascade of white flowers
Do you prefer romantic, bucolic atmospheres created by cascades of flowers? The clematis – Clematis ‘Early Sensation’ offers a generous, immaculate display of flowering in spring. From April to May, its white flowers with green centres resemble daisies and cover its evergreen, bright, glossy and finely cut foliage like parsley. After flowering, pretty decorative fruits appear, silky and feathery, in a silvery-grey. This clematis can reach up to 3 metres in height. Hardy to -9°C, this climbing perennial plant thrives in full sun, in acidic soil such as heather soil, or neutral soil.
Grown on a pergola or arch, Clematis ‘Early Sensation’ pairs with climbing roses to create a romantic atmosphere. Pair it, for example, with the climbing rose ‘Albertine’, which, from May to July, bears flowers in a pretty dusty-pink shade, with a light sweet fragrance.
The climbing fuchsia 'Lady Boothby', a beautiful climbing plant for shaded corners.
Are you looking for a climbing plant to tuck into a border in a garden exposed to partial shade? The climbing fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ appreciates this type of shaded exposure and offers in summer a colourful and elegant flowering. From July to September, this climbing plant bears semi-double, two-tone bell-shaped flowers. The fuchsia-pink sepals contrast with the purple-violet corollas measuring 5 cm across. Its soft green foliage is deciduous. The Fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ reaches a height of 2.5 metres at maturity and relies on surrounding shrubs for support as it grows. This semi-hardy variety tolerates frosts down to -10°C. It grows in sun or partial shade in rich, cool, well-drained soil that can be acidic or neutral. Be sure to position it away from cold, dry winds.
In a border, plant the climbing fuchsia ‘Lady Boothby’ alongside evergreen shrubs, such as Mexican orange blossom – Choisya ‘Aztec Pearl’, which will reward you with white, delicately scented flowers from May to June.
Wisteria 'Grande Diva Barbara', romantic and fragrant.
Are you a fan of wisterias and their abundant, fragrant flowering? The wisteria ‘Grande Diva Barbara’ – Wisteria (x) venusta is a climbing plant hybrid that produces a cascade of fragrant flowering clusters from its early years. In May and June, it is covered with bi-colour flowers, white and lavender. The pendant clusters measure 15 to 20 cm long. Medium-green, deciduous foliage appears after flowering in the form of bronze-coloured new shoots. Hardy to -20°C, it has an amazing lifespan as it can live for well over 100 years. From a compact habit, it grows up to 5 metres tall and can be grown in the ground or in a pot on a terrace. Plant it on a pergola or along a wall, in sun or partial shade, in moist soil, of heather soil or neutral.
Plant the Wisteria (x) venusta ‘Grande Diva Barbara’ along a wall or gate and pair it with the clematis – Clematis montana ‘Mayleen’ for its soft pink, fragrant spring flowering.
Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin', a mauve and yellow star-shaped flowering.
Originating from Brazil, the Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’ is a climbing plant with rapid growth, which enjoys the Mediterranean climate. It offers a generous and long flowering of small star-shaped mauve flowers with a yellow centre, from June to October. The graceful flowers bloom on green, glossy, deciduous foliage, and then give way to decorative white and yellow fruits. This mock jasmine is frost-tender with a hardiness down to -12°C. It grows quickly to a height of 5 metres and can be grown in the ground or in a pot, if you need to overwinter it. It thrives in sun, in cool, well-drained and humus-bearing soil, sheltered from cold winds.
Grow Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’ along a trellis or pergola and give it companions, such as Rosa banksiae ‘Alba Plena’, with white, fragrant blossoms that appear in May and June.
The climbing hydrangea 'Cordifolia', a climbing plant used as groundcover.
The climbing hydrangea, or Hydrangea petiolaris ‘Cordifolia’, has an unusual habit for a climbing plant, as it trails more than it climbs on a support. Some of its shoots can, however, rise vertically if they meet a suitable support. Its small heart-shaped leaves bear, in July, umbels of flowers sculpted like lace, white and cream. The flowers emit a gentle, sweet fragrance and dry on the plant, lending a wispy, cottage-garden touch to a garden. This deciduous-leaved plant grows to about 1 metre tall and makes an elegant ground cover at the base of trees. It grows in humus-bearing, cool soil, neutral to acidic, in a north- or west-facing position, in partial shade.
In a border, you can pair Hydrangea petiolaris ‘Cordifolia’ with other classic shrub hydrangeas or with Alchemilla mollis.
Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Snow Sensation', an XXL climbing plant.
Easy to grow, vigorous and very floriferous, the Schizophragma hydrangeoides ‘Snow Sensation’ or false climbing hydrangea covers itself in summer with large cream-white, light and airy inflorescences. In spring, new shoots appear. They are red in colour, then the foliage becomes dark green with bluish-green undersides. Hardy to -18°C, this plant brightens shadier corners of the garden, thanks to its flowering which lasts from June to July. It has small aerial roots to cling to a vertical support and thus climb up to 10 metres high! It grows in shade or partial shade, in humus-rich, cool and well-drained soil.
In the garden, in a border, try pairing the Schizophragma hydrangeoides ‘Snow Sensation’ with the Hydrangea aspera ‘Hot Chocolate’ to create a beautiful contrast between the purple foliage of the latter and the white flowering of the former.
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