Flowering Evergreen Climber

Hi everybody,
I'm a amateur gardener and would like some advice. I would like a summer flowering, evergreen climbing plant to go in my south facing back garden.
Can anybody suggest what I should be looking for? Many thanks.

 

Hi Zippy and welcome, I would suggest an evergreen or semi evergreen Honeysuckle.

 

I can only think of pyracantha offhand as an evergreeen climber. It has lovely flowers in Spring and berries in Autumn.

 

Pyracantha is not so much a climber, more a wall shrub.

 

You could try a solanum glasnevin. A fairly rapid evergreen climber with purple flowers ( part of the potato family!) Trouble is, its not totally hardy but is happy in my garden in the south.
Pyracantha as tiarella suggests is a good choice although you would need to keep clipping it back. Looks wonderful though.I have them growing by the side of the front door and the birds love the orange berries in the autumn

 

THanks everybody for all your suggestions - I think I going to go with 'daitheplant' suggestion of the Honeysuckle - got a feeling that the Pyracantha might get a bit messing when the berries start falling off as its going to be right outside by the back door. Many thanks Zippy

 

Pyracantha is great because it remains green to the base of the plant and you can keep it clipped to the shape you want.The berries and flowers arent a problem at all. Honeysuckle can get a bit straggly...

 

dont Pyracantha have them nasty thorns??(been scrached loads of times when planting them around the industrial estates) dont think its a good idea to have it near a door if you have small children around

 

Are you going to grow your climber in a container or is it going in the ground?. Both have their limitations against a house wall. If you are growing in a container, make it generous and deep, keep it well watered and fed (roots will be shaded by house/eaves and foliage). If going in the ground it needs to be planted at least 30cm away from the wall.

If you are going for a honeysuckle, be aware that they do tend to get a bit leggy (bare at the base). If you want an evergreen/semi-evergreen one try Lonicera americana, L. halliana, L. henryi, L. japonica, or L. similis delavayi.

I wouldn't plant any thing from the solanum family where there are very young children due to the poisonous berries, though I do believe in teaching 'em that most berries are for the birds and not to put in their mouths, until they're old enough to understand

There are lots of other good evergreen or semi evergreen climbers: -
Akebia quinata, Berberidopsis corallina, Hydrangea seemannii, Passiflora caerulea or Passiflora caerulea "Constance Elliot",Trachelospermum asiaticum, Trachelospermum jasminoides. Most of these are scented and flower in summer. (Akebia is a bit earlier) - Have you thought of growing a couple through each other to extend the flowering season? An early Clematis perhaps? (Clematis armandii is evergreen and flowers late winter/early spring - though it can be a thug!)

For sourcing and inspiration have a look here
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk/climbers/cat1.htm

Whatever you decide - enjoy!

 

Hi Zippy,
Honeysuckles are lovely but can be very prone to mildew in a sunny spot if the ground gets dry.

Like Bayleaf I would suggest Trachelospermum or a passion flower (passiflora), both of which should be fine in Somerset.

One other lovely climber (sadly not evergreen) is campsis radicans, the trumpet vine - fab orange/apricot exotic-looking flowers in late summer, and self-clinging (it has little suction pads like ivy).

 

OK, I changed my mind again! Just looked up the Trachelospermum - I like to look of that one - thanks for the suggestion 'bayleaf'. I 'll see if I can get hold of one this weekend.