Climbing vines that can grow in the shade can make a beautiful addition to your home garden or landscape setting. Many climbing vines require full or partial sunlight to thrive, but certain types of climbing vines will do very well in shade conditions. They can be trained to climb across trellises, doorways, gazebo arches, arbors, walls, and other structures for great visual color and interest. However, it can be challenging to select the right climbing vine for the space. Learn from garden experts how to select the right type of climbing vine for your shady garden location.
Trumpet vines regularly attract winged visitors, including the tiny hummingbird, which finds the long, trumpet-shaped flowers that give this climbing vine its name to be the perfect snack or meal. Trumpet vines bloom nearly continuously throughout the summer and will grow quickly once planted.
Clematis vines offer great variety, with more than 250 cultivars to select from in all shades, colors, and sizes of foliage and flowers. They have a long lifespan and are enthusiastic growers in shady conditions.
The climbing hydrangea vine is an ideal choice for shady areas and varying weather and soil conditions, as it is very hardy and blooms reliably year after year for several months a year.
The Wintercreeper vine is an evergreen and tolerates full shade very well. It can be trained to grow as a climbing vine or as groundcover, making it very versatile in any area where shade is present.
The English ivy vine is an aggressive evergreen vine that enjoys shade conditions. It will grow extensively to cover ground or wall surfaces and will fill in with dense foliage. The English ivy vine will require frequent pruning in areas where it is used as a decorative filler only.