Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
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examples of climbing plants

If you're searching for beautiful and practical ways to add vertical interest to your garden, exploring different examples of climbing plants is the perfect place to start. Climbers are versatile, adding lush foliage, stunning blooms, and privacy to fences, trellises, and walls. In New Zealand gardens, climbing plants can transform small spaces, soften hard landscapes, and attract pollinators. Let's take a closer look at some popular climbing plant options that thrive locally and the unique features they offer.

Muehlenbeckia complexa (Pohuehue)

Muehlenbeckia complexa (Pohuehue) is a vigorous, hardy NZ native climber or groundcover. It features wiry, twining stems and small, glossy green leaves that create dense coverage. Growing up to 4 m wide and 2 m high, it’s perfect for fences, banks, or walls. Pohuehue tolerates wind, salt spray, and dry conditions once established.

Buy Muehlenbeckia complexa (Pohuehue)

From $20.63

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Groundcover Plants

Height: 30 cm

Spread: 2.00 m

Flowering time: Summer

Tolerances: Coastal, Extended dry periods, Hardy, Wind

Garden uses: Arches, Banks, Borders, Containers, Ground covering, Living areas, Paths & Steps, Patios, Pool areas, Topiary, Walls

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, Native

Bougainvillea 'Purple Patch'

Bougainvillea ‘Purple Patch’ is a dazzling climbing plant that delivers an abundance of rich purple bracts through the warmer months. Perfect for brightening fences, pergolas, and garden walls, it brings tropical vibrancy and structure to New Zealand gardens.

Buy Bougainvillea 'Purple Patch'

From $30.29

Suited to regions: Subtropical, Temperate

Plant type: Climbers

Height: 2.00 m

Spread: 2.00 m

Flowering time: Spring, Summer

Tolerances: Coastal, Hardy

Garden uses: Arches, Containers, Living areas, Pool areas

Garden styles: Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern

Popular Examples of Climbing Plants

Climbing plants come in all shapes, sizes, and textures. Some attach themselves to supports with aerial roots or tendrils, while others twine around structures or sprawl as ramblers. Here are several examples of climbing plants that are well-loved by New Zealand gardeners:

1. Rhaphidophora decursiva

Known for its striking, deeply lobed leaves, Rhaphidophora decursiva is a tropical climber that excels as both a houseplant and a lush addition to sheltered outdoor spaces. It naturally climbs by attaching itself to trees or totems, and brings a bold architectural element to any setting.

2. Hydrangea petiolaris

Hydrangea petiolaris, or the Climbing Hydrangea, is renowned for its showy lacecap flowers and self-clinging habit. This climber will cover shady walls or fences with heart-shaped leaves and creamy floral displays, brightening up even the most challenging spots in the garden.

3. Rose Cecil Brunner

If you're dreaming of a fragrant, vintage garden, Rose Cecil Brunner is a miniature climbing rose that produces clusters of soft pink, scented blooms. It’s compact enough for smaller pergolas and perfect for archways, where its gentle fragrance can be enjoyed up close.

4. Rosa 'Iceberg' Climbing

One of the best-loved examples of climbing plants, Rosa 'Iceberg' Climbing is celebrated for its prolific white flowers and exceptional disease resistance. Train this hardy climber along fences or trellises for a repeat show of blooms from spring to autumn.

5. Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig)

Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig) is a vigorous, evergreen climber that’s ideal for quickly covering walls and fences with lush, small leaves. It’s a reliable, low-maintenance option that works just as well indoors as out, and is used to create living green walls.

Why Choose Climbing Plants?

Incorporating various examples of climbing plants into your landscape not only maximises your space but also brings texture and colour to vertical surfaces. Climbers are excellent for creating privacy, screening unsightly areas, and attracting birds and beneficial insects. With so many choices, from flowering varieties like Hydrangea petiolaris and Rosa 'Iceberg' Climbing to striking foliage plants like Rhaphidophora decursiva, there’s a climber to suit every Kiwi garden style.

Thinking about vertical gardening or adding more greenery to your outdoor living space? Start by choosing the right examples of climbing plants for your needs, and enjoy a thriving, beautiful garden year-round.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.

examples of climbing plants

Muehlenbeckia complexa (Pohuehue)

Bougainvillea 'Purple Patch'

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