Climbers for autumn colour
Where I grew up, in Mildura in north-western Victoria, summer temperatures climbed well into the high 40s. We had a pergola dripping with an ornamental grapevine (Vitis vinifera), which provided welcome shade. Facing north, it gave a 5°C drop in temperature, which was a blessed relief during those hot summers. Being deciduous, it allowed lovely winter sunshine into the house. As if that wasn’t enough, between the seasons, as the vine prepared to lose its leaves, the pergola was swathed in a breathtaking show of brilliant autumn colours.
A deciduous climber is a great option for adding rich autumn tones to a small garden with no room for a deciduous tree. Some clamber comfortably over a pergola, while others are better suited to running up a vertical plane such as a wall or fence. Most grow quickly, too, so you don’t have to wait long to enjoy their beauty, but they do need regular training to keep them contained.
Here are four beautiful deciduous climbers that, like most autumn show ponies, are best suited to areas with cold winters.
Ornamental grape (Vitis vinifera)
Ornamental grapes are closely related to common edible grapes. They share the same botanical name, but are selected for their particularly decorative foliage, which turns golden-yellow, orange, red, crimson and purple in autumn.
An ornamental grapevine normally loses its fruit early, making it less messy. It can be grown over a large area, such as on a pergola, giving wonderful shade, or trained on a fence or wires on a wall, providing an attractive backdrop for other plants.
With good soil moisture, it grows very fast, reaching 2–3m per season. It loves the sun and withstands very high temperatures. A few leaves may get burnt on extremely hot days, but new leaves soon follow.
It is a tough plant, but can be prone to powdery mildew in humid conditions. Spraying with an organic fungicide reduces damage, but I rarely find it necessary to spray, as the leaves are renewed each spring. The vine caterpillar can become a pest in early summer, eating holes in the leaves. Doing a careful search, especially under the leaves, and picking them off may be enough, but a natural spray will help with a large infestation. Prune your ornamental grapevine hard in winter to keep it under control.
Crimson glory vine (Vitis coignetiae)
Perhaps the most spectacular of vines, crimson glory is a strong grower that climbs by twining tendrils from the stems. It is best trained to cover pergolas, walls and fences, or can be left to scramble over a large tree stump.
It produces wonderful large, round, leathery green leaves in summer, which turn a spectacular crimson, orange and
scarlet in autumn, creating a magnificent display. It loves the sun and will easily grow 3m in a season. Grown on a pergola, where the stems can hang down, it forms a curtain of leaves.
Crimson glory vine is also in the grape family, and while it does produce small fruit, they are insignificant and inedible. Like other grapes, it is a little prone to powdery mildew in humid conditions. Prune it hard in winter, right back to buds close to the main stem, and it easily reshoots in spring.
Boston or Japanese ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)
Though its common name suggests it’s an ivy, this creeper is also a member of the grape family. It’s a vigorous vine that clings to walls, fences and tree trunks using small adhesive pads at the tips of tendrils attached to the stems.
The new leaves in spring are a lovely lime-green that becomes a deeper green over summer. In autumn, the foliage turns rich crimson and scarlet, and varies in shape and size. There are three lobes on the large leaves of the older plants. As well as its foliage, I love the tracery of this plant’s stems when it is bare in winter.
It is easy to grow and will spread several metres in a couple of years. If left to its own will, it can cover walls and fences 10m tall.
Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
This creeper is a knockout for autumn colour, its green spring and summer foliage turning a brilliant red. The leaves have five lobes. Like Boston ivy, it is self-clinging and has tiny discs on its tendrils. Bluish-black fruit follows summer flowers.
Virginia creeper can race away, covering a high wall and trees in the blink of an eye. I’ve seen it smothering a tower in an English garden, and wandering wildly among shrubs. Keep an eye on this one, as it can become quite invasive.