Climbing Plants for Shade

Looking for a climbing plant to brighten a shady spot in the garden? Whether you grow them on a wall, fence or pergola - or even in containers - these shade-loving climbers are guaranteed to revitalise your outdoor space. 

Need help picking?
Climbing plants (211) Clematis plants (86)Jasmine plants (22)Honeysuckle plants (22)Wisteria plants (20)Climbing roses (25)
  • 'Pink Showers' Asiatic Jasmine | Trachelospermum asiaticum
    From £30
    From £30

    'Pink Showers' Asiatic Jasmine | Trachelospermum asiaticum

    Fragrance worth shouting about

    • Pink pinwheel flowers, dark green foliage
    • Vigorous growth and a wonderful fragrance
    • Does well in both sun and partial shade
    • Blooms from May to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Clematis cirrhosa 'Jingle Bells' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Clematis cirrhosa 'Jingle Bells'

    Oh, what fun it is to plant...

    • Single, cream, bell-shaped blooms
    • Pruning group 1 - no pruning
    • Full sun to partial shade, hardy (H4)
    • Flowers December to February

    Currently out of stock

  • Clematis 'Romantika' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Clematis 'Romantika'

    The deepest purple hues

    • Alluring, single, cross-shaped blooms
    • Pruning group 3 - loves a prune
    • Full sun to partial shade, fully hardy (H6)
    • Flowers July to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Chocolate Vine | Akebia quinata 'Silver Bells' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Chocolate Vine | Akebia quinata 'Silver Bells'

    A wonderfully aromatic climber

    • Grows well in full sun and part shade
    • Perfect for trellises, obelisks or pergolas
    • Stunning blooms from early spring
    • Flowers emit an inviting vanilla aroma

    Currently out of stock

  • 'Hibernica' Ivy | Hedera helix Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    'Hibernica' Ivy | Hedera helix

    Improves any drab surface

    • Enchanting emerald foliage
    • Attractive to birds and pollinators
    • Suited to full sun, part shade and full shade
    • Masses of ornamental black berries

    Currently out of stock

  • Year-Round Flowering Climbers Collection Climbing Plants
    From £110
    £120 From £110

    Year-Round Flowering Climbers Collection

    Vibrant flowers all year round

    • Fill your garden with non-stop colour
    • Easy to grow on a trellis, obelisk or pergola
    • Available in three 'editions'
    • Blooms throughout the year

    Currently out of stock

  • Climbing Fuchsia 'Pink Fizz' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Climbing Fuchsia 'Pink Fizz'

    Gorgeous pendulous flowers

    • Bell-shaped pink and red blooms
    • Grows wonderfully up a trellis or wall
    • Happy in both sun and part shade
    • Flowers from summer to autumn

    Currently out of stock

  • Asiatic Jasmine | Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Bella' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Asiatic Jasmine | Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Bella'

    An evergreen dreamboat

    • Creamy flowers and glossy green foliage
    • Fabulously fragrant flowers
    • Full sun is preferable (or partial shade)
    • Flowers from June to August

    Currently out of stock

  • Silky Wisteria | Wisteria brachybotrys 'Showa-beni' Climbing Plants
    From £40
    From £40

    Silky Wisteria | Wisteria brachybotrys 'Showa-beni'

    Fabulously fragrant racemes

    • Hanging pink flowers (up to 15cm long)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Grows well in both sun and part shade
    • Flowers in June

    Currently out of stock

  • 'Glacier' Ivy | Hedera helix Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    'Glacier' Ivy | Hedera helix

    Grows anything but glacially

    • Mottled, lightly-lobed, silver-green foliage
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Grows in all light conditions (sun to shade)
    • Perfect for covering a drab fence

    Currently out of stock

  • Climbing Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Climbing Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby'

    Intense bicolour blooms

    • Bold red and purple blooms, mid-green foliage
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
    • Thrives in both sun and part shade
    • Flowers from June to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Clematis 'Wedding Day' Climbing Plants
    £30
    £30

    Clematis 'Wedding Day'

    The happiest plant of your life

    • Large, gown-white blooms with magenta anthers
    • Pruning group 2 - light pruning
    • Full sun to partial shade, fully hardy (H6)
    • Flowers May to June, September

    Currently out of stock

  • Scented Clematis | Clematis x aromatica Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Scented Clematis | Clematis x aromatica

    Smells as good as it looks

    • Shruiken-shaped, single blooms
    • Pruning group 3 - loves a prune
    • Full sun to partial shade, fully hardy (H6)
    • Flowers July to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Purple Passion Flower | Passiflora 'Purple Haze' Climbing Plants
    From £25
    £30 From £25

    Purple Passion Flower | Passiflora 'Purple Haze'

    Big, bold, beautiful blooms

    • Free-flowering lavender purple flowers
    • Brings pollinators to the garden
    • Content in both full sun and partial shade
    • Fragrant flowers from July to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Boston Ivy | Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Green Spring' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Boston Ivy | Parthenocissus tricuspidata 'Green Spring'

    Unmistakable three-point leaves

    • Green foliage becomes a deep red in autumn
    • Very vigorous and self-clinging
    • Grows well in both sun and shade
    • Rapidly covers walls and fences

    Currently out of stock

  • Clematis 'Duchess of Edinburgh' Climbing Plants
    £30
    £30

    Clematis 'Duchess of Edinburgh'

    Majestic in every way!

    • Voluminous, double white flowers
    • Pruning group 2 - light pruning
    • Full sun to partial shade, fully hardy (H6)
    • Flowers June to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Clematis 'Sweet Summer Love' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Clematis 'Sweet Summer Love'

    A multitude of purple crosses

    • Elegant, single, grape-coloured flowers
    • Pruning group 3 - loves a prune
    • Full sun to partial shade, hardy (H5)
    • Flowers July to October

    Currently out of stock

  • Variegated Virginia Creeper | Parthenocissus quinquefolia 'Star Showers' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Variegated Virginia Creeper | Parthenocissus quinquefolia 'Star Showers'

    Marvelously mottled foliage

    • Green foliage flecked with cream and pink
    • Fully hardy and tough as old boots
    • Grows in full sun through to full shade
    • Stunning pink shades come autumn

    Currently out of stock

  • 'Heaven Scent' Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    'Heaven Scent' Honeysuckle | Lonicera periclymenum

    Heaven Scent is heaven-sent!

    • Chiffon-white and butter-yellow blooms
    • Quickly covers a boring fence or wall
    • Position in partial shade or full sun
    • Tubular flowers from June to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Clematis 'Golden Tiara' Climbing Plants
    £30
    £30

    Clematis 'Golden Tiara'

    Your trellis' crowning glory

    • Campanulate yellow and purple blooms
    • Pruning group 3 - loves a prune
    • Full sun to partial shade, fully hardy (H6)
    • Flowers June to August

    Currently out of stock

  • Bluebell Creeper | Sollya heterophylla 'Ultra Blue' Climbing Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Bluebell Creeper | Sollya heterophylla 'Ultra Blue'

    The most brilliant blue blooms

    • Bell-like flowers in deepest blue
    • A perfect climber for a patio pot
    • Happy in both full sun and part shade
    • Flowers from June to September

    Currently out of stock

Cheltenham

Meet Mollie

Climbers grown by specialists at the height of their game

What does it take to grow the strongest and best climbing plants in the show tent? Organic fertilisers, natural pest control and years of dedication from Mollie, our expert grower in Worcestershire. Professionally pruned and checked by hand, they’re guaranteed to put on a gold standard display in your garden, too.

Need help picking?

Why choose shade-tolerant climbing plants?

Why choose shade-tolerant climbing plants?

While many of us would like a sunny, south-facing garden, they’re not always forthcoming. Instead, many of us have outdoor spaces that find themselves part-shaded, receiving some sun, but not enough for certain sun-loving plants to thrive. If you have a pergola, wall or arbour you want covering, but find your garden’s more cloud-kissed than sun-touched, then climbers tolerant of shade are your best friend. Certain climbers are naturally well-suited to dappled shade; honeysuckles, for instance, are woodland plants and therefore accustomed to patchier light.

What are our favourite climbing plants for shade?

What are our favourite climbing plants for shade?

There are so many great shade-tolerant climbers out there that it’s hard to whittle down the options. However, we’ve tried! With its RHS Award of Garden Merit and fabulous flaxen flowers, Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’ (Hall’s Japanese honeysuckle) is undoubtedly among, not only the best shade-tolerant climbers, but among the best climbers full stop. Star jasmine is another, well, star performer. Boasting fragrant pinwheel flowers and lush evergreen foliage, this plant is perfect for adding a touch of the Mediterranean to your outdoor space. Finally, we’re going to go for a foliage plant in the form of Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper). Easily clothing a bare wall, this vigorous plant provides an absolute riot of autumn colour.

Caring for shady climbers

Caring for shady climbers

Most shade-tolerant climbers like to be planted in moist but well-drained soil. An application of fertiliser at the start of spring can help encourage better blooms. A layer of mulch can also be helpful with weed suppression and moisture retention. Watering should be routine when your plants are establishing, particularly during hot, dry spells. If you’re growing your climber(s) in a pot, then more regular watering will be required. Hardy clematis species such as Clematis alpina and Clematis viticella that don’t mind a bit of sun benefit from having their roots kept shaded using other plants or some gravel.

Happy plants make happy customers

Trustpilot
Ornamental Colour Collection Pond Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Plants arrived in great condition and very promptly. Well established - much better than the ones I got at my local garden centre.

Monica Spence

| 24 May
Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides Climbing Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Yet again this company delivered good healthy plants, exactly as shown in photos, well packaged and within delivery time quoted. Recommend!

Jacqueline Burgess

| 2 Jun
five star rating on Trustpilot

I continue to be so impressed with Roots. Their customer care, knowledge of their subject: from planting hedges to pruning roses and more, has been a great support.

Judy Lane

| 23 Oct
E 'Black Hamburgh' Indoor Grape Vine Soft Fruit
five star rating on Trustpilot

The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

Martyn Hill

| 5 Jul
E 'Braeburn Hillwell' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
five star rating on Trustpilot

As a non-gardener, I found my whole experience brilliant. Great information & advice available on the website, great range of products & prices are brilliant.

John-Paul

| 22 May
five star rating on Trustpilot

Wonderful plants and great customer service... really surprised to find that the plants are better than those you would get at your local garden centre.

Gavin Wilcock

| 8 Nov

Fighting plastic waste

Delivering fresh from the nursery

Supporting UK growers