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Climber recommendations

matthewtanton9_L00vhUmatthewtanton9_L00vhU Posts: 2
in Plants
I'm looking for suggestions on which climber I should get for growing against the front of my house under a ground floor window. The space is east facing (sunlight in the morning but not the afternoon) and is about 1m x 2m. Ideally, I would like something that is going to attract wildlife and, if possible, be UK native.

Posts

  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Pyracantha? Rather prickly but easy to prune into that shape and the birds like the berries.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I agree.  It's evergreen, has spring blossom followed by berries in late summer/autumn and is thorny so provides good shelter for invertebrates and birds.  It will grow agaisnt a wall with little or no support needed, just a bit of pruning to encourage growth in the right direction and keep it in bounds.

    An area that small will not be suitable for the obvious climbers such as clematis, honeysuckle, jasmine, roses etc.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • matthewtanton9_L00vhUmatthewtanton9_L00vhU Posts: 2
    Excellent, thank you both for the help. 
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    I'm a big fan of pyracantha for its flowers, berries and it being evergreen but if you need to get to the window to clean it, then you might get spiked in the unmentionables because they have wicked thorns. If that might be a problem then you might look at a cotoneaster. I don't personally grow them but I know a number of people on here know about them and can advise a variety if you like. Our neighbour has one in the same situation and they are much softer on the owner and will grow quite nicely against a wall.  I think it is cotoneaster horizontalis but there are many others. 
  • AthelasAthelas Posts: 946
    I have pyracantha ‘Red Star’ growing in a similar way — it has much fewer thorns than other varieties of pyracantha
    Cambridgeshire, UK
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