Growing clematis over a wall

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Meg29 (Zone 6b) Apr 20, 2012

I just moved to a new house with an ugly concrete wall bordering the driveway. The wall is only a few feet tall. I was thinking of trying to cover the wall with clematis. If I plant it on one side will it grow up and over the wall and then down to cover the other side?

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ecrane3 Dublin, CA(Zone 9a) Apr 20, 2012

Clematis climbs by wrapping tendrils around things, and the concrete wall won't give it anywhere for the tendrils to wrap around as it climbs. Vines like ivy can stick themselves to walls, but most vines can't do that. If you want the clematis to climb the wall, you'll have to put up a trellis, string, chicken wire, or something else that it can wrap its tendrils around to climb.

I think most clematis are deciduous though so in the winter it won't do a good job disguising the wall in the wintertime. If you could tell us where you live (or at least what climate zone you're in) someone might be able to suggest a nice evergreen vine for you. Unless you use ivy (which is evergreen--but can spread a bit aggressively in some areas so many people don't like it) you may still need to put up something that it can climb, but at least an evergreen vine would provide year-round coverage of the wall.

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themoonhowl Prairieville, LA(Zone 9a) Apr 20, 2012

The only clematis that may work for you would be Clematis ternifolia, but it would need something to catch hold of as it grows..you could perhaps use some temporary measure until the plant gets going.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/plant-finder/plant-details/kc/a300/clematis-terniflora.aspx

You could possibly, depending on your location, add a planter box to the top of the fence and use prostrate rosemary as a cover. Most say it gets 3 ft tall, but mine has done more width than height.

http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/Rosemarinus_Pros.html

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Meg29 (Zone 6b) Apr 21, 2012

Thanks! I guess I will find a better location to plant clematis. I live in zone 6b - any ideas for a vine plant to hide this wall?

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themoonhowl Prairieville, LA(Zone 9a) Apr 21, 2012

Check out the link above for Clematis ternifolia. It is hardy to zone 5

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