Grow your own shade with these cool and colorful garden plants.
Here’s what to considerand a few different plants to get you started.
(Just look at the info carefully, as some varieties only grow two to five feet!)
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Climbing hydrangeas bloom white all summer, and its leaves turn a gorgeous golden yellow in the fall.
Moonflowers can be perennial in the hottest parts of the country, but will be an annual elsewhere.
And despite its nocturnal blooming habits, it needs plenty of sun to thrive.
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They can grow up to a whopping 40 feet tall!
Just keep the thorns in mind!
The average climbing rose reaches about eight feet in height, but theycangrow up to 20 feet tall.
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Because it’s a tropical plant, it won’t do well once it gets frosty.
)but it offers plenty of bright, fragrant blooms in the summer and fall.
It thrives in the sunshine and can grow up to eight feet tall.
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While popular with butterflies and bees, the plant can be toxic to pets.
They need full sun to thrive.
Despite their tropical roots though, they can be grown pretty far north as annuals.
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The leaves do shed as the weather cools down.
It thrives in full sun, but can handle partial shade and almost any kind of soil.
They also impart a subtle, sweet scent.
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And you may need to be on regular cleanup duty if your pergola is over your outdoor living space.
“All plants shed in some capacity and so will a vine,” says Yost.
“Tables or furniture underneath may be covered in debris at certain times of the year.”
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Climbing plants use different techniques to climb a structuresome of which may not be something you desire.
You’ll also need to consider what the plant needs to thrive.
Watch out for invasive plants
“By definition climbing plants are invasive,” Yost says.
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Others are more well behaved, such as clematis and lonicera."
“Climbing roses and clematis are a great combination,” Yost says.
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