Collection: Climbing Plants for Pots

Many climbing plants can be grown in pots; clematis are perhaps the best for container growing, but you can also grow grape vines, star jasmine plants and more compact honeysuckle and climbing rose varieties in large containers.

There are certain plants that don’t respond that well to being grown in containers; wisteria is generally too heavy with its woody stems, Russian vines are typically too vigorous – they’re even nicknamed ‘mile-a-minute’ plants – while foliage climbers like Virginia creeper and ivy are similarly aggressive in their growth habit, and will quickly outgrow their pot.

Climbing plants grown in pots require more watering than their ground-grown counterparts, as the soil/compost in containers is liable to dry out more quickly. This is especially important throughout the growing season and during protracted hot, dry spells.

Growing in a pot, climbing plants have limited access to nutrients and resources in a way that ground-grown climbers do not. This means additional feeding can be beneficial; a slow-release general fertiliser at the start of spring and fortnightly liquid feed (like tomato feed) throughout the growing season.

If you’re thinking of getting a climber for a pot, choose a bigger pot than you think. Why? Because you’ll want to leave enough room to place a support (like an obelisk, for instance) and still have room for the plant itself.