Skip to main content

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)

Labels:
Location: United States

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Great Designs for Container Groupings

Once your single containers are ready to merge It's hard to fail with a group of containers. Any size group, from a simple couple to large multiples, can enhance any outdoor space. Open patios and decks become softer and more intimate when you place pots around them. A straight and simple outdoor path lined with containers can become a wave of sorts—a formal one with some plants or an informal path with others. You never know what you'll come up with by placing one pot next to another or a particular plant with others. Once you start experimenting, you'll notice many places where a container is grouped. 1. Combine bright colors This collection of colorful pots introduces the viewer to the vivid color scheme in the beds behind it, mainly blue flowers. However, to maintain exclusivity, pots get exclusive rights to colors like magenta, pink and chartreuse. 2. Formal lateralization A combination of papyrus and vases always looks elegant, but when placed side by sid...
Post a Comment
Read more

Strategies for improving a small garden space

Prioritize functionality when every inch is precious When I started designing gardens 20 years ago, I was surprised to find that small spaces were more challenging to plan than large ones. In those early years, a small number of clients would come to me with detailed lists of items they must have, and I would struggle to fit everything in. Identifying specific features and details was a major breakthrough. A garden should be the final step in the process, not the first. Since then, every consultation I have with a new client begins with three questions I've nicknamed the "three W's." These prompts help my clients imagine interacting with their redesigned spaces, and while they're useful in remodeling gardens of all sizes, they're especially helpful when space is at a premium. When my husband and I recently moved into a new house with a small backyard, we had the opportunity to use the process for ourselves. Here's what we found. Three question...
Post a Comment
Read more

7 Big Impact Dwarf Flowering Shrubs

Scale with dwarf flowering shrubs Big gardens have a season in life, and we have unlimited energy to maintain perennial gardens and a quarter acre vegetable plot that produces enough food for the entire neighborhood. But if you're starting out with a three-story balcony garden or have a small garden, you can still use dwarf shrubs to create a beautiful outdoor living space. Dwarf shrubs are perfect for small space gardens When thoughtfully designed, a small space garden can be as visually appealing and emotionally pleasing as a sprawling yard. No need to sacrifice your favorite shrubs like roses and lilacs. You need to choose the right size varieties to match the size of the space. A short hedge or even a casket of flowering shrubs may be all you need to make your patio feel like "home." Dwarf flowering shrubs for your garden It's best to be selective when curating plant palettes for a small space. If the large shrubs you've seen at local nurseries ar...
Post a Comment
Read more