25 Hardy Climbing plants and Shrubs for Winter [UK]

Hardy climbing plants called vines are a delight to behold with their evergreen foliage throughout the year, especially in winter when it can get slightly dreary. Climbing plants send out runners or vines and have a habit of trailing over any surface. These plants don’t need extensive care; most thrive with very little to support their growth.

Climbing plants take up very little soil space, growing up walls and fences vertically, giving you more space for growing other plants. They also provide much-needed privacy all year round when trailing around a fence and also provide for a range of garden creatures.

It is typically in summer when the weather becomes cheerful that climbers covering pergolas and arbours are more celebrated and revered, but there is something about hardy climbing plants in winter that deserves its mention. Climbing plants in winter with their evergreen foliage can enhance the look of your garden with its surprisingly beautiful blooms, ornamental flowers, and even some luscious berries.

If you are looking for hardy climbing plants in the UK to thrive and beautify your garden all through the year, these are some of the best options.

1. Ivy

Botanical Name:Hedera Helix

Features: Evergreen perennial climbing vine

English Ivy (Hedera Helix) is an evergreen perennial climbing plant that can climb to a height of over 80 ft high. It is the most common hardy climbing plant owing to its aggressive nature, growing widely with very little help.

Primarily grown for its evergreen foliage, these plants are ideal for growing up a wall or a fence. It grows best in part shade to full shade. The leaves are typically dark green and also grow some berries in winter, which could be attractive for birds to feed upon.

Choose from a variety of variegations to add interest to your winter garden. These plants provide excellent shelter for insects and nesting birds.

2. Clematis

Botanical Name:Clematis Cirrhosa

Features: Deciduous or evergreen shrubs with showy winter flowers

A winter flowering plant with fragrant flowers, clematis plants are evergreen and have small fern-shaped leaves. An easy plant to grow once it’s settled in, it requires very little maintenance.

Clematis plants feature creamy white, bell-shaped flowers which bloom more, especially in winter. These plants need just the right amount of watering- overwatering and extremely moist soil can lead to root rot, and they don’t do well in drought conditions.

Some varieties to choose from are Wisley Cream, Freckles, Winter Beauty, Early Sensation, and Lansdowne Gem.

3. Climbing Hydrangeas

Botanical name: Hydrangea anomala

Features: Flowering deciduous vines, Can also be maintained in shrub form for ground cover.

Hydrangea vines are often trained to climb fences, pergolas, trellises, and arches of houses. This plant has white lacy flowers in late spring and dark green lush ovate leaves.

These plants take relatively longer to establish themselves but are low on maintenance and can reach a height of 50 ft when mature. These hardy climbing plants for the UK grow best in full sun to part shade in moist soil with good drainage.

Some of the varieties to choose from are Hydrangea anomala, Miranda variety with variegated leaves, Silver lining with grey variegated leaves, and Flying Saucer, known for its inflorescences that look like saucers.

4. Camellia

Botanical Name: Camellia Sasanqua

Features: Glossy evergreen foliage with pure white or pink single flowers

The glory of the fall garden, camellia, with its sweet flowers which bloom in late fall all through winter, is a delightful winter plant. A completely non-fussy plant, it is easy to grow with very little help. The delightfully graceful flowers, when in full bloom, are tender in colour and fragrance.

This evergreen shrub can grow to a height of 12 ft and is a shade-loving plant. This grows upright and is best for growing up against a wall or fence vertically or clipped into hedges, or used for creating tall screens. They are best grown in moist, acidic, well-drained soils.

5. Honeysuckle

Botanical Name: Lonicera

Features: Extremely vigorous evergreen vine with fragrant flowers

Honeysuckle are vigorous plants that grow quickly and can reach a height of up to 50 ft. It has long egg-shaped hairy leaves with fragrant white flowers with a pink or purple tinge.

This plant has a longer bloom period and hence attracts lots of birds and butterflies and is considered an attractive ornamental plant. In some parts, Japanese Honeysuckle is regarded as an invasive plant owing to its aggressive growth.

A non-invasive alternative to this is the Trumpet Honeysuckle which is semi-evergreen. Some of the varieties of Honeysuckle to choose from are Honeyberry and Lonicera fragrantissima

6. Star Jasmine

Botanical Name:Trachelospermum jasminoides

Features: Evergreen climbing shrub, Fragrant white flowers in summer

A fast-growing woody vine, Star Jasmine can be used to climb trellis or fences to make a screen. It features fragrant white flowers which can be pleasing and perfume the entire garden. The tiny white flowers appear in late spring to early summer, and the vine is easy to grow with shorter bright green leaves.

Star Jasmine thrives in full sun, though it is hard to withstand no sun conditions, in which case, it will grow slower and bloom slower but thrive nevertheless. It needs good fertile soil with good drainage to grow.

7. Potato Vines

Botanical Name: Solanum crispum Glasnevin

Features: Large semi-evergreen climbing shrub with clusters of fragrant starry flowers

This is a fast-growing vine with fragrant mauve lilac flowers from late summer to fall. The foliage is ovate dark green leaves, and the flowers grow into small yellow fruits. This vine can grow up to 20 ft in height and is ideal for covering a wall, trellis, or fence.

This plant thrives in full sun, moist, well-drained soils. These are hardy plants, and though they thrive in sunny conditions, they do equally well in shade and cold, but the blooms may be sporadic and less vigorous.

8. Chocolate Vine

Features: Perennial vine with purple-brown blooms

A stunning vine with rich purple-brown blooms with their quintessential vanilla chocolate fragrance, these hardy vines make a good choice for your garden. The foliage is dark green oval leaves that grow in clusters of 5, and the flowers bloom in spring, followed by fruits in late summer.

These plants can grow up to 30 ft in height. This plant takes well to shade and doesn’t need full sun. Well-drained soil, which is a mix of sand and loam, is well-suited for these plants.

Some of the varieties to choose from are Akebia quinata Alba with green stems and white flowers, Akebia quinata’ Purple Bouquet’ with deep purple flowers, and Akebia quinata ‘Rosea’ with pink flowers.

9. Sausage Vine

Botanical Name: Holboelliacoriacea

Features: Rampant climber with pale purple and greenish flowers

This is a frost-hardy vigorous climbing plant and can grow up to a height of 4-8 meters. These plants have leathery palmate leaves and male and female flowers in the same plant.

These are best for growing on wall-side borders, and though they prefer full sun, they thrive extremely well in the shade and are best for lighting up a dreary corner of the garden. These plants establish well in moist, well-drained alkaline soil. The male flowers are purple, and the female flowers are green in colour, followed by purple-green fruits, which are sausage-shaped.

10. Cup and Saucer Vine

Botanical Name:Cobaeascandens

Features: Perennial climber native to Mexico, has purple cups or bell-shaped flowers.

This hardy climbing plant has thin, light leaves and purple flowers, which are cup or bell-shaped. These plants can grow to a height of 40 ft. Although they take time to establish, they grow very quickly once done and can be easily trained to climb arbours and fences to make a screen.

These plants need full sun to bloom properly and need well-drained, moist soil to thrive. They are slightly sensitive to cold and will need protection if the temperature dips below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

The flowers are pale green when they start and quickly turn purple or white when mature, with a slight honey fragrance.

11. Chilean Glory Flower

Botanical Name: Eccremocarpus scaber

Features: perennial vines with red, orange, and yellow flowers

Extremely hardy and fast-growing, these plants have a long stem of distinct blooms in bright shades of red, orange, and yellow. The foliage is light green with oval-shaped leaves, and the flowers attract a lot of hummingbirds.

These vines can grow to a height of 15 ft and can be easily trained to climb on walls, arches, and trellises. These low-maintenance plants make excellent hardy climbing plants and thrive well in full sun to partial shade conditions.

This plant thrives in rich organic soil, which is well-drained. In cold winters, it might not bloom, but the evergreen leaves are a delight all year round.

12. Flowering maple

Botanical Name: Abutilon megapotamicum

Features: deciduous semi-evergreen shrub

This beautiful hardy shrub features lantern-shaped, showy flowers that bloom throughout summer and autumn. A sun-loving plant, it can be grown against a warm wall with sun exposure and sheltered from frost and cold winds.

It grows best in moist, well-drained soil under sunny conditions. An evergreen ornamental shrub, the flowers are red lantern-like in shape and have a pleasant sweet flavour. The plant blooms all year long, and the flowers are filled with sweet nectar.

13. Passion Flower

Botanical Name:Passiflora spp.

Features: perennial shrub with prostate vines

These vigorous shrubs bear intricate flowers with a central ring of filaments called a corona. These hardy plants can thrive well even in low temperatures of -5°C. Some varieties even produce fruits that are edible.

The flowers bloom from mid-summer to late fall. The flowers are intricate and exotic looking, with a flat petal base in a reflex circle. These vines can be trained to climb the trellis and other vertical surfaces. They thrive in full sun conditions with well-drained soil.

Some of the varieties are Passiflora caerulea with blue flowers, Passiflora coccinea with red flowers, and Passiflora incarnata with purple flowers.

14. Silk Tassel Brush

Botanical Name: Garrya elliptica

Features: Evergreen plant with silver catkins

An elegant shrub, it has evergreen foliage and creamy white catkins which drip down from its branches and are in full display in winter. It can be added to spruce up a shaded corner and can even be used as a free-standing shrub.

These are evergreen and dioecious and wind-pollinated. These are non-fussy plants with very little upkeep and can thrive well in any soil without waterlogging. It is even sea salt tolerant and can adapt well to coastal areas too.

15. Emerald Gaiety

Botanical Name:Euonymus fortunei

Features: This shrub is also called a wintercreeper

A hardy climbing plant in the UK, emerald gaiety has foliage that takes up a tinge of pink in late fall and winter. The leaves are blue-green with white margins and are variegated when grown in shade.

It can be grown as a screen and climb over hedges and can also be grown as a vine for ground cover. Thrives well in alkaline, well-drained soil and has good tolerance for drought conditions.

Some varieties are E. fortunei’ Emerald ‘n’ Gold’ with yellow-tinged leaves and Euonymusfortunei’ Colorado,’ which has green leaves which turn purple in fall.

16. Firethorn

Botanical Name:Pyracantha coccinea

Features: Evergreen shrub with red berry clusters all year long

These plants bloom white flowers in spring, which make way for their famous red berries in fall. The berries are abundant all through winter and attract a large number of birds.

These are versatile and need very little care, and can be trained up trellises, arches, and walls. They thrive in sunny, well-drained soil conditions.

17. Wall Cotoneaster

Features: Not a true climber but can be pinned to climb up walls and fences

An excellent choice of addition to the winter garden, this plant bears berries which are a bright red colour. The arching stems of this plant make a herringbone pattern on the surfaces on which it grows. The creamy white spring flowers give way to wonderful red winter berries.

These plants prefer light sun, thrive in light shade, and grow well even in dry soil. Though not naturally climbing, they can be trained to climb by pinning them up with nails and using the growth to extend the coverage upwards.

18. Maidenhair Vine

Botanical Name: Muehlenbeckia complexa

Features: Evergreen, wiry vines which are low growing

These vines can tolerate low temperatures well, although some loss of flowering can be observed in winter. These are dioecious, and the flowers are white in colour with the petals in a rosette arrangement. These thrive well in dry soil with good drainage.

It produces a mass of wiry, twining stems with tiny dark green leaves. These grow well in shade, and some amount of indirect sunlight is essential for variegation. It can grow up to a height of 4m.

19. Holly Leaved Sweet Spire

Botanical Name:Iteailicifolia

Features: Evergreen wall shrub with greenish-white flowers

This shrub has foliage that consists of glossy holly-like oval leaves with greenish-white racemes which are droopy with a strong honey scent.

It can grow up to a height of 4m and thrives well in moist, well-drained soil. It is best to plant in full sun along the North facing or the East facing walls. A hardy plant, the foliage remains green in winter too. The dangling racemes make for a delightful addition to the winter garden.

20. Wintersweet

Botanical Name:Chimonanthus praecox

Features: Deciduous, evergreen winter blooming shrub

A shrub that blooms pale yellow waxy blooms which are deliciously fragrant, these plants are slow growing and reach a height of 4m. It is a good shrub to plant near a pathway or door, and it thrives in full sun conditions.

Some of the varieties of Wintersweet are Chimonanthus praecox ‘Luteus’, which has completely yellow flowers which bloom in late winter, and Chimonanthus praecox‘Grandiflorus’, with deep yellow flowers with a centre purple blotch.

21. Oregon Grape Hybrid

Botanical Name:Mahonia x media

Features: Evergreen shrub with yellow flowers

They can be trained to grow over a wall or fence to brighten up the winter garden. The foliage consists of spiny leaflets; the flowers are yellow, small, cup-shaped, and lightly fragrant.

The flowers follow into juicy, oval blackberries, which are sometimes edible and great for baking. It thrives well in moist soil with good drainage and can grow up to a height of 4 mts.

22. California Lilac

Botanical Name: Ceanothus

Features: Perennial shrub with prolific blue blooms

These fast-growing shrubs feature blue colours, which are plentiful and with lovely foliage. The flowers are sweetly fragrant and bloom from late summer to winter. The foliage is dark green, and ovate leaves with serrated edges.

These are extremely versatile and can be trained to climb screens, hedges, and patio trees. Owing to their bright flowers, these plants attract a plethora of birds, bees, butterflies, and insects. It thrives well in well-drained soils with ample sunlight.

23. Bluebell Creeper

Botanical Name: Billardiera heterophylla

Features: Climbing, twining evergreen plant with good frost tolerance

These are hardy plants that grow vigorously when established. This plant features masses of blue flowers all summer long. It can naturally trail up vertical surfaces and can be trained to climb fences and trellis.

The foliage is oval lance-shaped dark green leaves with a glossy surface. It can grow up to a height of 5 ft and can thrive well in low sun and low light conditions, which makes it a perfect hardy climbing plant for the UK.

24. Garrya Elliptica James Roof

Botanical Name:Garryaelliptica

Features: bushy evergreen shrub with droopy grey-green flowers

These are evergreen dioecious shrubs that grow vigorously with very little maintenance. The foliage is small, with leathery green leaves. It bears green flowers in pendant catkin-like racemes all through winter and up to early spring.

These plants need full sun but can thrive in partial shade conditions. These are architectural, ornamental plants that need less upkeep and can be easily grown on wall-side borders.

25. Moonflower

Botanical Name:Ipomoea alba

Features: Tender perennial vine with trumpet-shaped flowers

A perennial vine, it bears beautiful fragrant flowers which can elevate your night garden. The foliage consists of dark green heart-shaped leaves on prickly stems. The trumpet-shaped flowers bloom from mid-summer to late fall, and their fragrance is unmatched. They have mildly hallucinogenic seeds, and its best to be cautious when handling these.

They are low on maintenance and can be easily led to climb over any available vertical surface. Though it grows well in full sun, it can adapt to partial shade but will not bloom as effectively. These plants prefer moderately moist soil with adequate drainage. They might even be able to thrive in mild drought conditions.

Conclusion

These are some of the best hardy climbing plants in the UK, which can thrive in the harsh winters and provide an evergreen look to your garden. So whether it is an ornamental or functional need like providing a screen for privacy, look no further than these stunning vines, which are sure to delight both the inhabitant and the garden creatures.

Most of the vines need very little maintenance, and once established, all they need is good light and adequate water to thrive. They can be trained to climb over almost any vertical surface, making them ideal climbing plants to spruce up a dreary corner or an ugly wall.

So which of these hardy climbing plants are you adding to your winter garden? Rest assured, this is the best time of the year to plant them so that they establish themselves before the onset of winter.