Which climbing plant for a pergola?

There's no better way to plant a pergola than with climbing plants. They cling to the pillars and climb up to the roof. Whether you prefer green foliage or colourful flowers, there's something for everyone. Discover our advice.

Whichever plant you choose, you'll first need to get it into the ground. You will need to dig a planting hole in the ground, about 20 cm from the support pillar. The hole should be twice the diameter of the root ball.

At the bottom of the mould, you will first lay a drainage layer, before adding potting soil. When you place the root ball, tilt it slightly towards the pergola, guided by a stake. The vines and other climbing stems will then gradually wrap themselves around the pillar.

Virginia creeper: grows two to three metres per season. Its dense foliage will quickly cover your pergola. Very easy to care for, it turns red in autumn but will wither in the colder months.
Golden hop: this plant can grow to a metre in a month, and up to 6 metres in a year. Its highly decorative leaves turn from yellow to green in summer. However, it will need pruning in winter to prevent it from taking over.
Banks rose: it is possible to plant a climbing rose on a pergola. This very fast-growing rose is also very vigorous and easy to care for. It has no thorns and even retains its foliage in winter (although it won't withstand too much cold).
Clematis: this creeper can double in size in a month and grow up to 5 m high. To enjoy them all year round, be sure to choose an evergreen variety. Also check that the one you prefer can withstand the temperatures in your region.
Passionflower: Passionflowers are distinguished by their spectacular, large, brightly coloured flowers. Its rapid growth and evergreen foliage mean you can enjoy it all year round.
Star jasmine: this ‘false jasmine’ quickly reaches several metres in height. Resistant even to low temperatures, it has evergreen foliage and flowers from June to September. What's more, it's very easy to care for.

It's also great to be able to pick fruit, almost maintenance-free, with just your hand outstretched from your garden furniture.

For this, you can opt for vines, raspberry bushes or mulberry trees. You know the exotic version, but kiwifruit also thrives in our latitudes and will look great on your pergola. You can also enjoy climbing strawberry plants, such as Mount Everest, which reaches a metre in height.

Akena Pergola - Bio plus - Aménager sa terrasse

While most climbing plants thrive in the sun, you may also want to plant the inside of the pergola. In that case, it would be wiser to opt for shade plants such as hostas and certain camellias. Climbing hydrangeas will also cling to the pillars from inside the pergola. The same goes for honeysuckle: its stem will be more protected in the shade, while its leaves prefer the sun.