5 climbing plants to grow in pots on a south-facing balcony

Passionflower, a stunning flowering with an exotic appearance

Passion flowers (Passiflora) are climbing voluble plants that can reach heights of 5 to 15 metres. They are ideal for warm, sunny balconies.

These vigorous lianas coil around structures using their numerous tendrils. They will quickly cover a railing or grow on a trellis to adorn a wall.

The passion flower blooms generously from early summer in June until the first frosts. It is then adorned with ornamental fruits, some of which are edible, although their culinary appeal is limited.

The beautifully lobed foliage is evergreen in the south and deciduous in the north during harsh winters.

Choose hardy varieties that do not need to be brought indoors during the cold season, such as:

• Passiflora coerulea, one of the most common varieties, with beautiful blue and white flowers, hardy down to -7°C;
• Passiflora insignis ‘Pink Passion’ with double star-shaped flowers in bright pink, hardy down to -5°C;
• Passiflora caerulea ‘Constance Elliott’ with luminous white flowering, hardy down to -10°C;
• Passiflora ‘Purple Passion’, with flowers of a soft mauve surrounded by purple filaments, hardy down to -5°C.

To grow passion flowers in pots on a balcony, choose a light, well-draining substrate. Allow the soil to dry between waterings and reduce water and fertiliser during winter.

→ Learn more about growing passion flowers in pots

Passiflora caerulea and Passiflora ‘Constance Elliott’

Bignonia, with its beautiful coloured trumpets

The trumpet vines are climbing lianas with stunning flowering from late spring to the first autumn frosts, depending on the variety. They can reach heights of 8 to 10 metres.

The trumpet vine is adorned with lovely trumpet-shaped flowers, which vary in colour from red to pink, yellow, or orange:

• Campsis radicans ‘Stromboli’, a common variety that offers a beautiful bright red flowering throughout the summer;
• Campsis tagliabuana ‘Summer Jazz Gold’, with a modest size ideal for a balcony, produces golden-yellow flowers veined with orange;
• Campsis capreolata ‘Atrosanguinea’, with scarlet trumpets illuminated by yellow bells, which are surprisingly fragrant with notes of cocoa and coffee;
• Campsis radicans ‘Flamenco’, with flowering in a salmon-pink hue.

The hardiness of this climber is generally moderate, but some varieties can be hardy down to -15°C. It is ideal for growing in a sheltered south-facing position on a balcony.

Its elegant, dentate green foliage changes colour in autumn before disappearing. It is evergreen in regions with mild winters.

To grow a trumpet vine, plan for a large pot in a sunny position, sheltered from cold winds. The plant will naturally cling to any support with its tendrils or climbing roots.

Naturally low in water requirements, it will however require more regular watering in pots, as well as a supply of fertiliser to support flowering. Regular pruning at the end of winter will help contain its rapid growth.

Campsis radicans ‘Stromboli’, Campsis tagliabuana ‘Summer Jazz Gold’ and Campsis capreolata ‘Atrosanguinea’

Jasmine to delicately scent the balcony

Jasmines are particularly renowned for their powerful fragrance and star-shaped flowers.

Some climbing voluble varieties are perfect candidates for very sunny balconies. Their colour and flowering period vary according to the varieties:

• Jasminum officinale ‘Clotted Cream’, which offers uninterrupted yellow-cream flowering from July to September;
• the white jasmine, which produces immaculate white star-shaped flowers, complemented by foliage with yellow and golden hues;
• Jasminum polyanthum, with very fragrant porcelain-pink flowers, with limited hardiness (-5°C);
• the winter jasmine, which is unscented but hardy down to -15°C, adorned with pretty lemon-yellow flowers from December to March.

Foliage is evergreen in regions with mild winters and deciduous in those with harsher winters.

To grow jasmine in pots, ensure a well-drained substrate to avoid any water stagnation. Watering should be regular during the flowering period, and a fertiliser application will also be beneficial.

Jasmine will effortlessly adorn trellises, balcony railings, or weathered walls. Regular pruning will help maintain a beautiful bushy habit.

Jasminum officinale ‘Clotted Cream’ (photo L. Enking), Jasminum polyanthum (photo T. Kiya) and Jasminum nudiflorum</caption]

Sweet peas, a wide diversity of colours and scents

Sweet peas are annual climbing plants with very distinctive papilionaceous flowers.

From summer until the first frosts, they offer a wide range of colours and fragrances to suit all tastes:

• Lathyrus odoratus ‘Grandiflora Americana’, with large variegated flowers in red, pink, and white, exuding a light fragrance;
• ‘Blue Ripple’, featuring white flowers marbled with sky blue, releasing a strong fragrance;
• ‘Bicolour Purple’, a fragrant variety offering bicoloured flowers in shades of purple, mauve, and lavender;
• ‘Pinkie’, adorned with large fragrant flowers in a bright pink.

Thanks to their tendrils, these very fast-growing plants easily cling to anything and immediately add a colourful, rustic touch.

A sunny exposure will encourage beautiful flowering, as will a regular supply of special flowering plant fertiliser.

Find our tips to successfully sow sweet peas.

Lathyrus odoratus grandiflora ‘Blue Ripple’

The ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ rose: a refined touch for the balcony

The ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ rose is a small climbing rose (2 metres high and 1.5 metres wide), ideal for sunny balconies, especially north of the Loire. It received the highly coveted title of “World’s Favourite Rose” in 2006.

This perpetual variety flowers several times a year, from June until the first frosts. It boasts large round flowers of about ten centimetres, in fresh pink and carmine pink hues. Although they are lightly scented, they are still well-suited for bouquets.

The young leaves, initially reddish, turn a glossy green as they grow. The plant prefers ventilated locations, avoiding the ambient humidity responsible for fungal diseases like marsonia.

This plant with sturdy woody climbing stems should be trained by tying it to a support, such as a trellis, to guide its growth.

To support flowering, regular watering and feeding will be necessary, especially in the hottest regions of the south.

Very hardy, the ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ rose can survive winter on the balcony, accompanied by a good protective mulch at its base.

Rosa ‘Pierre de Ronsard’ (photo Hamachidori)