Native Plants

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Thursday - July 10, 2008

From: Monroeville, , PA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Vines
Title: Plants to cover rock wall in Pennsylvania
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Please recommend plants that I could use to plant on the (full sun) slightly sloped ground space above a 3 foot high, 20 foot long unattractive stone wall that would grow over and down to cover the wall. Can't use climbing plants because bottom of wall terminates in a cement driveway. Thanks

ANSWER:

If you have means of setting spikes or stakes below your wall at the edge of the cement driveway and spikes or stakes at the top of the wall, you can run nylon fishing line or some sort of twine between the two sets of stakes. You can then plant vines at the top of the wall and you should be able to train them to grow down the lines and cover the wall, rather than grow up. Here are a few suggestions for vines that will do well in full sun in Pennsyvlania:

Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper)

Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet) with more photos and information

Clematis ligusticifolia (western white clematis)

Clematis virginiana (devil's darning needles)

Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle)

Passiflora incarnata (purple passionflower)

Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)