What Will Grow Up a Lattice?

A lattice can help you take advantage of the vertical space in your garden, increasing your growing area for container plants or adding privacy along the edge of your yard. They can also add colour and life to the tops of fences or along the sides of your house and patio. Choose from a variety of plants that will grow up a lattice.

Evergreen

To add privacy with plants that are easy to grow and require little maintenance, use a green climbing vine. Many are self-climbers, which means you don’t need to attach the vines to help them cling to the lattice. Green vines that grow well in moderate climates include Persian ivy (Hedera colchica), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) and climbing fig (Ficus pumila).

Blooming Annuals

If you like to change your plants often and bring different pops of color to your lattice, use annual plants that can be grown in containers or on the ground. Morning glory (Ipomoea tricolor) plants provide a variety of colour options, while firecracker vines (Ipomoea lobata) bring an interesting shape along with brightly coloured blooms.

Blooming Perennials

Clematis (Clematis) is one of the easiest blooming perennials to grow, although it sometimes needs some help when it first starts to climb. Tying it up every 12 inches with garden twine can secure the new branches. Clematis comes in a large variety of colours to fit any garden theme. Honeysuckle (L. sempervirens) offers a pleasant fragrance and a choice of colours such as yellow, white and red. Jasminum (Jasminum officinale), particularly the “Fiona Sunrise” variety, provide the fragrance of jasmine with hardiness in Mediterranean climates.

Edible

You’re not stuck with climbing vines for your trellis; you can also grow food. Grapevines grow well up a trellis, as do pole beans. Use the trellis as a support for smaller varieties of tomatoes as well as vining cucumbers or climbing pea plants. Some plants, such as the tomatoes and cucumbers, might need to have stems tied to the trellis with garden twine as the food develops and becomes heavy.