Spring is the perfect time to refresh your garden with climbing plants, from vibrant flowers and lush greenery to edible vegetables. These versatile growers add height, fragrance, and homegrown harvests, transforming any space into a lush retreat. Whether you want fast-growing vines, colorful blooms, or edible climbers, these 27 spring climbers will bring beauty and function to your garden. Plus, they offer privacy, structure, and pollinator-friendly blooms, making them a must-have this season!
1. Clematis
Clematis is among the most popular climbing plants because of its stunning flowers in various colors like purple, pink, white, and red. These vibrant blooms appear in spring and summer, making clematis a great addition to a lively garden. The plant thrives on trellises, adding height and beauty to your garden. After the flowers fade, attractive seed heads appear, providing continued visual interest. It’s a versatile plant with varieties that suit different climates and garden spaces. Clematis grows best in well-drained soil and full sun, making it easy to incorporate into various garden styles.
2. Wisteria
Known for its cascading clusters of fragrant flowers, wisteria is a showstopper in any garden. The lavender or white blooms hang down in long, draping clusters, creating an impressive visual display. Although wisteria takes a few years to establish, it rewards gardeners with years of spectacular blooms once it's mature. It’s perfect for trellises, arbors, and pergolas, adding a graceful touch to your spring garden. Wisteria needs full sun and well-drained soil to reach its full potential. Wisteria adds timeless charm to your spring garden's beauty and elegant blooms.
3. Ivy
English ivy is a hardy, evergreen climbing plant that’s perfect for creating a green wall of foliage. Its glossy leaves stay vibrant all year round, making it a great option for year-round interest. Ivy grows quickly and can easily cover trellises, fences, or walls, making it great for privacy or hiding unsightly structures. It's a low-maintenance plant that thrives in partial shade and well-drained soil. Although it can spread quickly, regular trimming keeps it under control. Ivy’s versatility and robust growth make it a popular choice for gardeners looking for a hardy, evergreen climber.
4. Passionflower
Passionflower is an exotic climbing vine known for its striking, intricate blooms that make a bold statement in any garden. Its flowers, often in shades of purple, blue, or white, have a distinctive layered structure that attracts attention. This fast-growing plant thrives with the support of a trellis and, in some species, produces edible fruit, adding both beauty and function to the garden. It flourishes in full sun with well-drained soil and is a magnet for pollinators like bees, butterflies, and even hummingbirds. With its unique appeal and ecological benefits, passionflower is a stunning addition to any spring garden.
5. Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle is known for its sweet, intoxicating fragrance, making it a beloved choice for gardens. It produces colorful blooms in white, yellow, and pink shades that attract pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds. Honeysuckle grows well on trellises and quickly climbs, adding vertical interest to your garden. Once established, this low-maintenance plant requires little care and thrives in full sun or partial shade. Honeysuckle is also a hardy vine, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced gardeners.
6. Climbing Roses
Climbing roses are a classic choice for vertical gardening due to their elegant, fragrant blooms. They come in various colors, such as soft pastels, deep reds, and vibrant yellows, offering a timeless touch to any garden. These roses can be trained to cover trellises, fences, or walls, creating a beautiful focal point in your landscape. Climbing roses bloom throughout the spring and summer, adding beauty and fragrance. While they require regular care and pruning, they reward gardeners with stunning flowers. Their climbing nature makes them an ideal plant to bring elegance and charm to your spring garden.
7. Morning Glory
Morning Glory is an excellent choice if you're looking for a fast-growing climbing plant. This annual vine grows quickly, producing beautiful funnel-shaped flowers in vibrant colors such as blue, purple, pink, and white. Morning glories love the sun and thrive when trained on trellises, making them an easy-to-care-for addition to any spring garden. It’s easy to grow from seeds and can quickly cover large areas, offering both beauty and vertical interest. Morning glories grow best in well-drained soil and require minimal care once established.
8. Trumpet Vine
The trumpet vine, also known as trumpet creeper, is a striking plant that produces large trumpet-shaped flowers in red, orange, or yellow hues. It’s a vigorous grower, making it perfect for a trellis that can handle its size. While it can spread aggressively, its bold, vibrant blooms attract hummingbirds and other pollinators, making it a favorite for those seeking both beauty and wildlife-friendly plants. Trumpet vines are perfect for adding dramatic color and beauty to garden structures like fences, arbors, and trellises. It grows best in full sun and well-drained soil.
9. Scarlet Runner Beans
Scarlet Runner Beans are a versatile climbing plant, valued for their ornamental beauty and edible harvest. Their brilliant red flowers bloom in late spring, attracting pollinators and hummingbirds, while the fast-growing vines quickly cover trellises, fences, and arbors. Thriving in full sun and well-drained soil, they produce lush foliage, striking blooms, and tender, flavorful beans. Easy to grow, they offer a bountiful harvest in late summer while adding a vibrant, natural backdrop to any garden. Scarlet Runner Beans are an excellent choice for gardeners seeking both beauty and productivity.
10. Cucumber Vine
Cucumber vines are functional climbing plants that can grow vertically on a trellis, saving space in your garden. These plants produce crisp, refreshing cucumbers that are perfect for salads or snacks. Cucumbers thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and they need regular watering to produce a good harvest. Once trained on a trellis, cucumber vines grow quickly, making the fruit visible and accessible for harvesting. The vines also offer an attractive green backdrop, making them a useful and aesthetic plant.
11. Climbing Hydrangea
Climbing hydrangea is a low-maintenance, elegant plant known for its large, lace-cap white blooms. This plant grows slowly but steadily, making it perfect for gardeners who want a more subtle and controlled climber. It thrives in partial shade and prefers rich, moist, well-drained soil. When trained on a trellis, climbing hydrangea can cover a vertical space with its lush green leaves and beautiful flowers. Its graceful vines grow best when given time to establish and can add a touch of elegance to garden walls or fences.
12. Sweet Autumn Clematis
Sweet Autumn Clematis is a late-blooming variety of clematis that produces a profusion of small, fragrant white flowers in the late spring to summer. This variety is perfect for gardeners looking for a climber that blooms after many other plants have finished their bloom cycle. Sweet Autumn Clematis is a fast-growing vine, making it an excellent choice for quickly covering fences or trellises. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and requires well-drained soil. Once established, this plant is low-maintenance and can grow to impressive lengths.
13. Crossvine
Crossvine is a vigorous, semi-evergreen climber that bursts into bloom with trumpet-shaped orange-red flowers in early spring. It grows rapidly in full sun to partial shade and requires minimal maintenance. It is highly attractive to hummingbirds and pollinators and brings life and movement to any garden. Climbing effortlessly with tendrils, it’s perfect for fences, trellises, pergolas, and walls. Once established, Crossvine is heat and drought-tolerant, though it thrives best in moist, well-drained soil for optimal growth.
14. Dutchman's Pipe
Dutchman's pipe is a vigorous climber that produces large, heart-shaped leaves and unique, pipe-shaped flowers. This plant thrives in full sun to partial shade and can quickly cover fences or trellises. It’s a hardy climber, known for its ability to grow in various conditions, and it attracts pollinators like bees and butterflies. The unusual shape of the flowers gives this plant a distinct appearance, adding character and charm to any garden. Dutchman's pipe is a low-maintenance plant once established and provides a dense coverage of foliage, making it ideal for creating privacy or a green wall.
15. Fiveleaf Akebia
Fiveleaf Akebia, also known as Chocolate Vine, is a fast-growing, semi-evergreen climber that produces unique, fragrant purple flowers in early spring. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and is well-suited for trellises, fences, and pergolas. Its delicate, five-lobed leaves provide lush coverage, creating an elegant, cascading effect. Once established, this vine is drought-tolerant and low-maintenance, making it a versatile addition to any garden.
16. Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a drought-resistant, fast-growing climber that thrives in warm climates. Its vibrant, paper-like bracts come in shades of purple, red, pink, and orange, creating a bold and beautiful display on trellises. Bougainvillea grows quickly and can easily cover large spaces, making it ideal for creating colorful vertical displays. It needs full sun and requires minimal watering once established. Bougainvillea is perfect for hot, dry climates and adds a tropical touch to any garden. Its stunning color and low-maintenance nature make it a popular choice for gardeners seeking beauty and durability.
17. Chayote Vine
Chayote is a climbing plant that produces edible fruit, making it a functional and ornamental choice for your garden. The plant grows quickly, producing long vines that can be trained to climb on a trellis. Chayote thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. It is heat-tolerant and provides a fast, edible crop, making it a great addition to a vegetable garden. The vine produces white flowers, followed by green, wrinkled fruit. The chayote vine is a great option for gardeners growing fresh produce while enjoying vertical greenery. Its rapid growth and edible fruit make it a rewarding plant to grow.
18. Sweet Potato Vine
Sweet potato vines are not only decorative but can also provide a delicious edible harvest. These fast-growing vines can be trained to climb trellises, adding lush green foliage and vibrant purple or red foliage to your garden. They thrive in full sun and well-drained soil, and their growth is both rapid and vigorous. While they are typically grown for their tubers, sweet potato vines are also a popular ornamental plant due to their colorful leaves. The vines can be used for quick coverage of fences, arbors, or other vertical structures.
19. Snapdragon Vine
Snapdragon Vine is a delicate yet vigorous climber that produces charming, tubular flowers resembling snapdragons in shades of pink, purple, and blue. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and can be grown as a perennial in warm climates or as an annual in cooler regions. This fast-growing vine is perfect for trellises, hanging baskets, or fences, where its slender stems twine gracefully. Blooming from spring through fall attracts bees and butterflies. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and benefits from occasional pruning to maintain its shape.
20. Purple Bell Vine
Purple Bell Vine is an eye-catching climber known for its unique bell-shaped, deep purple flowers with dark maroon centers that begin blooming in spring. A favorite for ornamental displays, it thrives in full sun to partial shade and grows quickly on trellises, arches, and containers. Its heart-shaped leaves and cascading flowers create an elegant, whimsical garden feature. While drought-tolerant once established, it grows best in moist, well-drained soil.
21. Malabar Spinach
Malabar spinach is a fast-growing climber that produces edible leaves for salads and stir-fries. This plant thrives in hot climates and grows quickly when trained on a trellis. It needs full sun and well-drained soil to thrive. It is heat-tolerant and provides a fast, edible crop, making it a great addition to a vegetable garden. The vine produces glossy green leaves, which add a lush and healthy look to your vertical garden. Its rapid growth makes it an excellent choice for quickly covering garden structures.
22. Canary Creeper
Canary Creeper is a fast-growing, twining vine that produces delicate, bright yellow flowers with fringed petals, resembling tiny canary birds in flight. This stunning vine thrives in full sun to partial shade and quickly climbs trellises, fences, and arbors with its slender stems. Blooming from spring through fall, it attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making it a pollinator-friendly choice. Its lacy, lobed foliage adds to its ornamental appeal, and it grows best in well-drained soil with regular watering.
23. Hops Vine
The hops vine is a fast-growing plant often used for ornamental purposes and brewing. Its lush, green foliage quickly covers trellises or fences, providing shade and beauty. Hops vines grow best in full sun and well-drained soil, requiring regular watering to stay healthy. These vines produce flowers that are used to create beer, making them both beautiful and functional. Hops are vigorous climbers that can quickly cover large areas, making them perfect for gardeners looking for rapid vertical coverage.
24. Virginia Creeper
Virginia Creeper is a fast-growing vine that produces lush green foliage. In the fall, the leaves turn a brilliant red, strikingly contrasting your garden. This climbing plant is perfect for covering trellises or fences and offers a beautiful backdrop for your spring flowers. It’s low-maintenance and hardy, making it a great choice for beginners. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and grows quickly. Virginia Creeper’s beautiful foliage and fast growth make it a fantastic option for creating vertical coverage with stunning seasonal color.
25. Chilean Glory Flower
Chilean Glory Flower is a vibrant, fast-growing climber known for its clusters of tubular flowers in shades of red, orange, and yellow, which start blooming in early spring. It thrives in full sun, clinging to trellises, fences, and walls with delicate tendrils. Its fern-like foliage provides year-round interest, while its flowers attract hummingbirds and pollinators. Once established, it tolerates dry conditions and grows best in well-drained soil with moderate watering.
26. Akebia Vine
The Akebia Vine is a fast-growing climber with unique purple flowers and a sweet fragrance. This plant can quickly cover fences, trellises, or walls and is known for its beautiful, glossy green leaves. Akebia grows best in full sun to partial shade and thrives in well-drained soil. The plant produces edible fruit, adding both ornamental beauty and functionality. Its dense foliage makes it ideal for creating privacy or shade. Akebia’s rapid growth and exotic appeal make it a standout climbing plant.
27. Vigorous Climbing Fig
The Vigorous Climbing Fig is a true climber that can quickly cover vertical surfaces, including trellises, fences, and walls. It attaches using small aerial roots, allowing it to cling to surfaces easily. This plant is evergreen, providing year-round greenery and texture. Climbing fig grows best in partial to full sun and well-drained soil, making it a versatile addition to your garden. Its small, glossy leaves give it a delicate yet lush appearance, making it ideal for creating a dense green screen or adding vertical interest.
Grow Vertical, Celebrate Spring—Let These Climbers Take Over Your Garden
With the right climbing plants, your garden can bloom in spring, filled with cascading blooms, rich greenery, sweet fragrances, and even fresh vegetables. Whether you aim to create a romantic floral arch, a vibrant living wall, or a cozy, shaded retreat, these 27 stunning climbers offer endless possibilities. As they grow and flourish, they’ll enhance your garden’s beauty, invite pollinators, provide privacy, add structure, and even yield a delicious harvest. So, get planting and watch your garden climb to new heights this spring!
Need trellis ideas for your climbing plants? Don't miss this guide:
21 Trellis Ideas For Vines And Climbing Plants