Cool Down Your Sun-Soaked Fence With These 7 Vines – Their Lush Foliage Could Even Shield Your Home From Summer Heat

Trees are often the first plants we think of when trying to cool a garden, but they are not always practical for small spaces. Many trees also take many years to establish. Vines, on the other hand, can transform a fence, wall or pergola in just a few seasons, creating shade and protection where you need it most.

Creating a green canopy means that instead of allowing brick, timber or paving to absorb the full force of the sun, a curtain of foliage acts like a natural absorbent and provides garden shade. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of leaves intercept sunlight while also releasing moisture into the air through transpiration, helping to create a cooler, more comfortable microclimate around patios, windows and seating areas.

I have always loved growing climbers because they make such rapid progress. One spring, you are tying in a few spindly shoots; before long, they have transformed an otherwise harsh wall or bare pergola. I saw this first-hand in Tuscany, where we trained several young wisterias (like this American wisteria from Amazon) over a metal pergola. Today, four summers later, what had once been an exposed walkway has become a cool, green tunnel, filled with dappled light. Here, I talk through seven other options to use.

1. Plumbago

Cape plumbago is another vine that will always remind me of Tuscany, where we trained it against the warm stone walls of the old villa. It is not a true climber like wisteria or climbing roses, so you will need to tie in the stems to wires or a trellis as they grow.

Live plumbago plants can be ordered via Amazon.

Native to southern Africa, Plumbago auriculata is naturally adapted to hot, sunny conditions and is hardy in US zone 8 and above. It performs best in full sun, where it will produce clouds of delicate sky-blue flowers for months on end.

During its first growing season, water regularly while it establishes. Once settled, however, plumbago becomes impressively drought-tolerant. It also attracts butterflies and other pollinators, making it every bit as valuable for wildlife as it is for cooling a sunny wall or creating welcome shade around a patio.

2. Virginia Creeper

If your priority is covering a hot wall or fence as quickly as possible, it is hard to beat Virginia creeper. Native to eastern and central North America, this vigorous deciduous climber grows rapidly using self-clinging tendrils, creating a dense curtain of foliage that can dramatically reduce the amount of sunshine reaching brick, timber, or concrete surfaces.

Hardy in US zones 3 to 9, Virginia creeper, or Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is wonderfully adaptable, thriving in full sun, partial shade or even full shade. During summer, the five-fingered green leaves provide cooling shade, before turning spectacular shades of crimson, orange and scarlet in fall.

One word of caution: this is an exceptionally vigorous climber that can easily exceed 30 or even 40 feet. If you aim to cloak a wall or fence, that rapid growth is a real advantage. Just be prepared to prune it every other year or so to keep it within bounds – these long-handled bypass pruners from Amazon can make this easier.

Live Virginia creeper plants can be ordered from Amazon now.

3. Star Jasmine

Star jasmine is one of those climbers I have recommended time and again. When I worked as a maintenance gardener in London, it seemed to feature in almost every beautiful garden I cared for, and with good reason. Once established, it needs very little attention, yet every late spring and early summer it is covered in masses of waxy white flowers with the most wonderful perfume.

Star jasmine plants are available to order at Plant Addicts.

Despite the name, Trachelospermum jasminoides is not actually a true jasmine. Native to eastern and southeastern Asia, it is an evergreen woody climber that thrives in US zones 8 to 10, growing happily in full sun or dappled shade. The glossy foliage creates an attractive green curtain over walls, fences, or pergolas, helping to shade hard surfaces throughout the year.

It is also one of the few climbers I would happily grow in a container. Learning how to grow star jasmine in pots is surprisingly straightforward; just be sure to choose a large container, use free-draining compost, and provide sturdy wires or a trellis for support.

4. Boston Ivy

If you want to cool a sunny wall in the shortest possible time, Boston ivy (or Parthenocissus tricuspidata) is one of the fastest climbers you can grow. Hardy from US zone 4, this vigorous deciduous vine is, rather confusingly, not native to North America, but instead to Japan, Korea and China.

Its remarkable growth rate makes it ideal for covering large expanses of wall or fence, using tiny adhesive pads to cling directly to brick, stone and masonry without the need for wires or a trellis.

Throughout summer, the glossy green foliage forms a dense living curtain that shades walls from intense sunshine, helping to reduce heat build-up before turning wonderful shades of crimson and scarlet in fall.

One word of caution, however. Boston ivy is considered an invasive plant in some parts of North America, so always check with your local government office before planting. It also has a habit of finding its way beneath gutters, rooflines, and around windows if left alone for too long.

I would recommend pruning once or twice a year to keep it within bounds and thinking carefully before growing it on painted walls, as those adhesive pads can make removal difficult.

Live Boston ivy plants can be ordered from Amazon.

5. 'The Generous Gardener' Rose

I could have picked any number of climbing roses for this list, but 'The Generous Gardener' is perhaps the ultimate romantic choice. Trained over the porch or the front door, the glossy foliage provides welcome shade through summer.

For the ultimate cottage garden combination, I would underplant or weave a purple clematis through the stems, creating a rather dreamy pairing of pink and violet flowers.

Bred by David Austin and hardy to US zone 5, this repeat-flowering pale-pink climbing rose will reach around 15 feet in the right conditions. It performs best in full sun, although gardeners in warmer southern states can happily grow it in a little afternoon shade.

Prepare the soil well before planting and mulch each spring with compost or well-rotted manure. Remember, roses are hungry plants.

Deadheading spent flowers will encourage repeat blooms from midsummer well into fall, while the glossy foliage creates a leafy screen that helps cool areas throughout the season.

Heirloom pink climbing roses are available via Walmart.

6. Chilean Potato Vine

I have grown the popular Chilean potato vine cultivar Solanum crispum 'Glasnevin' myself, and it never failed to impress, racing up walls and trellises with clusters of violet-blue, star-shaped flowers with bright golden centres for much of the summer. If you prefer a softer look, Solanum laxum 'Album' produces the same elegant display, but in bright white.

Native to Chile and Peru, this evergreen or semi-evergreen climber thrives in US hardiness zone 9 and above, performing best in full sun and fertile, free-draining soil. It can reach 20 feet or more, making it ideal for cooling sunny walls in a relatively short space of time.

One word of caution: this is a vigorous plant that benefits from an annual prune (with these Felco F2 pruning shears from Lowe's) after flowering to keep it within bounds. It is also a member of the nightshade family, Solanaceae, and all parts are considered poisonous if ingested, so I would think twice before planting it where curious children or pets regularly play.

7. Evergreen Clematis

If you want year-round coverage, evergreen clematis are some of the easiest climbers to grow. Unlike many clematis that disappear entirely over winter, Clematis armandii retains its long, glossy, lance-shaped leaves throughout the year, making it one of the best climbers for screening a sunny wall or softening the front of your home.

Hardy in zones 6 to 9, it grows happily in full sun or part sun, part shade, eventually reaching around 20 feet once established.

In my experience, it can be a little slow to get going during the first year or two, but patience is rewarded. And, by early to mid-spring, the evergreen foliage is joined by clusters of fragrant white flowers.

Plant Addicts has a range of live clematis plants in different colors available to order now.

What to Shop

If you are not ready to plant a permanent climber, try an annual vine instead. Morning glory, Ipomoea tricolor, or nasturtiums are both fast-growing options that will quickly fill a trellis or pergola with foliage and colorful blooms, creating welcome shade through the hottest weeks of summer.

If you love inspiring garden ideas, outdoor advice, and the latest news, why not sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox?