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Best living wall plants

Living walls



A green wall can be either climbers, wall shrubs or trained fruits, or a more complex mechanized system, using all manner of high-tech gizmos from hydroponic mats to automated irrigation systems. At home in small quantities, specially designed blocks or bags filled with compost are ideal. They are easy to handle and quick to install (see How to Build a Living Wall). Maintenance is also very simple.


Importantly, always choose plants with the orientation of the wall in mind, as climates can vary greatly. Care for plants as you would any other container plant.


Plants for living walls


Prostrate, low-growing shrubs, ferns, perennials, and grasses can all be grown on living walls, as long as they don't have invasive tendencies. Add fruits and vegetables for a display that's good enough to eat!


Annuals, perennials, and grasses



Sunny walls (more than half a day of summer sun)


Ceratostigma plumbaginoides

Ehgeron karuinskianus (Mexican fleabane)

Euphorbia myrsinites (spurge)

Festuca glauca (blue fescue)

Helianthemum nummularium (rock rose) and cultivars

Helictotrichon semperuirens (blue oat grass)

Jasione laeuis (sheep’s bit scabious) and cultivars

Nepeta racemosa ‘Walkers Low’ (catmint)

Origanum laeuigatum (marjoram) and cultivars

Origanum uulgare (wild marjoram) and cultivars


Shady walls (less than half a day of summer sun)


Note: Given plenty of water, all will tolerate a sunny position


Ajuga reptans (bugle) and cultivars

Bergenia cordifolia (elephant’s ears) and cultivars

Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian bugloss) and cultivars

Carex morrouiii ‘Variegata’ (sedge) and other cultivars

Cornus canadensis (dwarf cornel)

Ferns (eg Asplenium trichomanes, Blechnum spicant, Polypodium uulgare)

Heuchera ‘Can-can’ (coral bells) and other cultivars

Hosta ‘Ginko Craig’ (plantain lily) and other cultivars

Pachysandra terminalis (Japanese spurge)

Fruit, vegetables & herbs


Sunny walls (more than half a day of summer sun)



Basil

Cherry tomatoes

Chives

Coriander

Oregano

Purslane

Sage

Strawberries

Thyme


Shady walls (less than half a day of summer sun)


Alpine strawberries

Lamb’s lettuce

Lettuce

Mizuna

Parsley

Red giant mustard

Rocket

Runner beans, dwarf

Spinach


Climbing high



For an easy (and cheap) living wall to build, climbers are hard to beat. Choose plants that bloom at different times, get interested in two periods from the same spot, or choose another climber that blooms at the same time. Climbing roses partnered with clematis are a classic duo. You can attach climbers to tall hedges, large shrubs, or open-spreading trees.


Free Climbers The so-called free climbers require no support and hence little maintenance. Ivy (Hedera) climbs using aerial roots, while Virginia creeper (Parthenocisus) has suckers to cling to surfaces. Free climbers often spread quickly and are useful for covering large areas. However, you should carefully consider plant vigor; These climbers are tricky to control once they get going.


Rope climbers twin like wisteria with twisting stems to pull themselves up; Grapevines (Vitis) and clematis use twining tendrils or leaves. I need a trellis or thick wires for support. Don't squeeze here. Healthy climbers grow faster, and mature plants are heavier. Substantial support is essential from the start. For modern designs, stainless-steel cables and fittings are available from specialist suppliers, and these look good with or without plants. Note: Most twining climbers tend to grow upwards, so if they are to spread, their shoots must be tied regularly.


Because wall shrubs do not naturally climb, wall shrubs benefit from the support of a wall. Shoots should be continuously attached to a horizontal support. Rumbling and climbing roses (Rosa) belong to the group of climbers that require support.


Tidy climbers & wall shrubs


Sunny walls


Aainidia kolomikta

Clematis armandit ‘Snowdrift’

Clematis ‘Bill MacKenzie’

Clematis ‘Niobe’

Cytisus battandieri (pineapple broom)

Fccremocarpusscober (Chilean glory flower)

Itea uirginica ‘Henry’s Garnet’ (sweet spire)

Rhodochiton atrosanguineus (purple bell vine)

Trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine)

Vitis uinifera (grapevine) Shady walls

Azara microphylla (box-leaf azara)

Berberidopsiscorallina (coral plant)

Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Moerloosei’ (flowering quince)

Clematis ‘Nelly Moser’

Carryaelliptica ‘Evie’ (silk-tassel bush)

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris (climbing hydrangea)

Pileostegia uiburnoides (climbing hydrangea)

Rosa ‘Zephirine Drouhin’

Schizophragma integrifolium (Chinese hydrangea vine)

Tropaeolumspeciosum (flame nasturtium)

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