The Best Climbing Plants Collection

This collection of 3 essential climbing plants brings together varieties known for their ease of cultivation and ornamental qualities. Offered in 8 or 9 cm (3 or 4in) pots, these young plants allow gardeners to indulge, for a reasonable budget. We have chosen here the blue passionflower, vigorous and hardy, the evergreen false jasmine with its highly scented white flowers, and the beautiful shrubby clematis Saphyra Estrella which produces an abundance of violet star-shaped flowers, from spring to summer.

This collection includes:

1 x Passiflora caerulea: a vigorous, perennial climber, hardy down to -10 °C (14°F), more or less evergreen in winter, twining around its support thanks to tendrils. Its fragrant flowers, 7-8 cm (3in) in size, are blue-white with a double collar of tricoloured filaments. They can produce edible but bland orange fruits. The blue passionflower can reach a height of 9 m (29ft) in mild climates, but will not exceed 5 or 6 m (16 or 20ft) in cooler climates. This highly decorative vine grows well in ordinary, well-drained soil, even with summer drought.

1 x Trachelospermum jasminoides: better known as False Jasmine or Star Jasmine, this evergreen climbing plant blooms in June-July, and its small white star-shaped flowers can perfume an entire area of the garden. It can reach 8 m (26ft) in all directions. Hardy even in colder areas, as long as it is planted in a sheltered position, it will withstand summer drought once well established.

1 x Clematis Saphyra Estrella: an excellent variety obtained by the INRA (French National Institute of Agricultural Research), this clematis has a shrubby rather than climbing habit and does not exceed 1 m (3ft) in all directions. It flowers from June to September, with 7-8 cm (3in) wide, blue-violet and star-shaped flowers. Its foliage is deciduous. Fully hardy, it is also resistant to diseases. Plant it in the garden or in a container in rich, moist, well-drained soil.

The blue passionflower is perfect to cover fences, trellises, unsightly wire netting, or old sunny walls, in Mediterranean or oceanic climates where it can grow profusely. Plant it in a sheltered position, away from strong winds. It is an excellent companion for other climbing plants. It is also possible to plant annuals and perennials at its base, or to let it climb into shrubs.

The star jasmine can tolerate brief frosts of around -10 °C (14°F) to -15 °C (5°F) when planted in a sunny spot, in well-drained soil. In mild climates, its cultivation poses no problems. While it is often used to climb walls or fences, it can make an excellent ground cover, even under deciduous trees, as an alternative to ivy. Perfect to bring density to a hedge, alongside evergreen shrubs or to hide unsightly views, Trachelospermum jasminoides can form a beautiful permanent "tunnel", a passage between two areas of the garden; it is easy to train on a structure made with two arches connected by wires. It can also adorn the edge of a staircase or add interest to the slopes of a sunken path...

The 'Saphyra Estrella' clematis, thanks to its very modest size, can be planted in the garden or in a container on the balcony. It can look beautiful placed close to an entrance or above a low wall, where it will flower throughout the summer. It can also be allowed to run freely as a ground cover in a shrub bed of garden or carpet roses.

Our advice: young plants in small pots will benefit from being repotted into 20-25 cm (8-10in) diameter pots and receive attentive care for a few months. This will allow their root system to develop, for better performance later in the open ground.