9 Best Climbing Plants for a Pergola (UK Guide, 2026)

The best climbing plants for a UK pergola are wisteria, climbing and rambling roses, clematis, honeysuckle and star jasmine, with grapevine, passionflower, climbing hydrangea and quick annual climbers rounding out the list. Between them they cover scent, flowers from spring to the first frosts, shade in summer and interest in winter. The right choice comes down to your aspect (how much sun the spot gets), how fast you want cover and how much pruning you are willing to do. A sturdy timber pergola gives all of them the strong, natural frame they need to climb.

Below are the nine we recommend, what each one is best for, and how to train it over the structure.

In this article

• What are the best climbing plants for a pergola?
• Which climbing plant suits your pergola? (Comparison table)
• How do you train a climbing plant over a pergola?
• What is the fastest-growing climber for a pergola?
• Which climbers give the best shade?
• FAQ

What are the best climbing plants for a pergola?

1. Wisteria: the classic pergola showstopper

Wisteria is the plant most people picture on a pergola, and for good reason. Its long, pendulous sprays of scented lilac or white flowers hang beautifully through the rafters in May and June, and the leafy canopy gives dense summer shade. It is a twining climber, so it wraps itself around posts and beams rather than clinging to flat surfaces. Two points to plan for: it is slow to establish (often two to three years before a strong flowering display) and it is vigorous once settled, so it needs pruning twice a year, in summer and again in winter, to keep it in shape. Give it a sunny, sheltered spot and a genuinely strong frame, because a mature wisteria is heavy.

2. Climbing and rambling roses: the longest flowering season

If you want colour from June right through to the first frosts, a climbing or rambling rose is hard to beat. Ramblers in particular suit pergolas because their long, flexible stems are easy to weave up and over the beams. Roses are not self-supporting, so you tie the main stems in as they grow and train them around the uprights to encourage flowers lower down. Most are scented, and regular deadheading keeps repeat-flowering varieties going for months. Choose a healthy, disease-resistant variety and give it a sunny position with good airflow.

3. Clematis: versatile and good in partial shade

Clematis is one of the most adaptable climbers you can grow. There is a variety for almost every aspect, and many are happy in partial shade, which makes them useful on the shadier side of a garden. Vigorous types such as Clematis montana will romp over a full-size pergola in a couple of seasons, while large-flowered hybrids give a more controlled display. The old rule is "feet in the shade, head in the sun": mulch or a low plant over the roots keeps them cool while the top climbs into the light. Clematis climb by twisting leaf stalks, so they appreciate a little trellis or wire on wide posts to get started.

4. Honeysuckle: scent and wildlife value

Honeysuckle (Lonicera) is a twining climber prized for its sweetly perfumed flowers, which are especially fragrant in the evening. The native Lonicera periclymenum is wildlife-friendly, drawing in pollinators by day and moths at dusk, followed by berries for birds. It copes with a range of soils and is happy in full sun or partial shade, so it is a forgiving, low-maintenance choice. Guide the young stems onto the posts and it will quickly twine its own way up and across.

5. Star jasmine: evergreen cover and heady scent

Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is the pick if you want year-round greenery rather than bare winter stems. It is evergreen, with glossy dark leaves and masses of small white, intensely fragrant flowers through summer. It is a twining climber that suits a warm, sheltered, sunny spot, ideally out of cold winds. In colder parts of the UK give it the most protected corner you have. Once established it gives you a lush, scented canopy that looks good in every season.

6. Grapevine: edible fruit and autumn colour

A grapevine (Vitis) turns a pergola into a productive feature. It climbs with tendrils, throws generous shade in high summer and colours up beautifully in autumn before dropping its leaves to let winter light back through. Ornamental varieties such as Vitis coignetiae are grown mainly for their spectacular autumn foliage, while dessert and wine grapes reward a warm, sunny, sheltered position with fruit. Grapes need annual winter pruning to stay productive and tidy.

7. Passionflower: an exotic, fast-growing statement

For something more unusual, Passiflora caerulea (blue passionflower) brings intricate, almost architectural blooms and fast cover. It climbs with tendrils and grows quickly through a single season, so it is a good way to green up a new pergola fast. It likes a sunny, sheltered position and, in colder gardens, may be cut back by hard frost and reshoot from the base in spring.

8. Climbing hydrangea: the best choice for shade

If your pergola sits in a shady or north-facing spot where little else will flower, climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris) is the answer. It is self-clinging, gripping timber and masonry with aerial roots, so it needs little tying in once away. It carries frothy white lacecap flowers in early summer and tolerates deep shade. The trade-off is patience: it is slow to establish in its first couple of years, then makes strong, reliable growth.

9. Annual climbers: quick colour in year one

While your permanent climbers settle in, fast annuals fill the gaps in a single summer. Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) give cut-and-come-again scented flowers, and morning glory (Ipomoea) is one of the fastest climbers of all, scrambling up posts and trellis on its own and opening deep blue and purple trumpets. Sow them each spring around the base of the pergola for instant height and colour while the wisteria or rose finds its feet.

Which climbing plant suits your pergola?

Climber	How it climbs	Best aspect	Main season	Speed	Support needed
Wisteria	Twining	Full sun, sheltered	May to June	Slow to start, then vigorous	Strong frame; guide early
Climbing/rambling rose	Tie in stems	Full sun	June to first frost	Fast	Tie stems to posts and beams
Clematis	Twisting leaf stalks	Sun or partial shade	Spring to autumn	Moderate to fast	Wire or trellis on wide posts
Honeysuckle	Twining	Sun or partial shade	Summer	Fast	Guide onto posts
Star jasmine	Twining	Warm, sheltered sun	Summer (evergreen)	Moderate	Guide onto posts
Grapevine	Tendrils	Full sun, sheltered	Summer fruit, autumn colour	Fast	Wire runs along beams
Passionflower	Tendrils	Sun, sheltered	Summer	Fast	Wire or trellis
Climbing hydrangea	Self-clinging	Shade to partial shade	Early summer	Slow to start	Minimal once established
Sweet pea / morning glory	Twining/tendrils	Sun	Summer (annual)	Very fast	Twine or netting on posts

How do you train a climbing plant over a pergola?

Getting a climber up and over the structure is mostly about matching the plant to the support. Twining climbers (wisteria, honeysuckle, star jasmine) and tendril climbers (grapevine, passionflower, clematis) both need something slim to grip, so on wide timber posts it helps to add vertical wires or a panel of trellis to get them started. Roses do not attach themselves at all, so you tie the main stems to the posts and beams with soft ties and re-tie as they extend.

Plant about 30cm to 45cm out from the base of an upright, not tight against it, so the roots get moisture, and lead the first shoots to the support with a cane. Spiral the leading stems around the posts rather than sending them straight up: training them more horizontally triggers more flowering shoots along the length. Once the plant reaches the top, guide it along the rafters to build the canopy. Check ties each spring so they do not cut into thickening stems.

A freestanding timber pergola is the ideal host for this, because the posts and cross-beams give plenty of natural anchor points and the wood ages into a warm backdrop for foliage and flowers.

What is the fastest-growing climber for a pergola?

For permanent cover, honeysuckle, a rambling rose and Clematis montana are among the quickest to clothe a pergola, usually giving good coverage within two to three seasons. For near-instant height in a single summer, nothing beats annual climbers like morning glory and sweet peas. Wisteria is the slowest of the popular choices to get going, so it is worth underplanting it with annuals for the first year or two.

Which climbers give the best shade?

For dense summer shade, grapevine and wisteria create the fullest leafy canopies, and both conveniently drop their leaves in winter to let light back through. Star jasmine gives lighter, evergreen cover that stays green all year. If you want reliable shade quickly, a vigorous grapevine trained along the rafters is one of the fastest routes to a green roof.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best fast-growing climbing plant for a pergola?

Honeysuckle, rambling roses and Clematis montana give quick permanent cover in two to three seasons. For colour in the very first summer, sow annual climbers such as morning glory and sweet peas, which scramble up posts on their own within weeks.

Which climbers are best for a shady or north-facing pergola?

Climbing hydrangea is the top choice for shade, as it flowers and thrives where most climbers will not, and it is self-clinging. Many clematis also cope well with partial shade, and honeysuckle is happy in either sun or partial shade.

Do climbing plants damage a wooden pergola?

Well-managed climbers do not harm a sound timber pergola. Keep the wood treated, guide growth away from joints and fixings, and prune vigorous plants such as wisteria and grapevine each year so the weight and coverage stay under control. Avoid letting dense growth trap moisture against the timber.

How do I attach climbers to pergola posts?

Twining and tendril climbers need something slim to grip, so add vertical wires or a slim trellis to wide posts. Roses are tied on with soft ties. Plant 30cm to 45cm out from the base and lead the first stems to the support with a cane.

How long does wisteria take to flower on a pergola?

Wisteria often takes two to three years to establish before it flowers well, and plants grown from seed can take longer still. Buying a named, grafted variety and pruning it twice a year (in summer and winter) brings it into reliable flower sooner.