Quick Cover for an Arbor or Pergola

Arbors and pergolas are great additions to the landscape, but waiting for vines to climb and cover the structures can be frustrating. Try a few of these for quicker results.

Mix annual and perennial vines for the first few seasons. The annual vines provide quick cover and flowers, while the perennial vine becomes established for long term beauty. Annuals like canary creeper, scarlet runner bean or purple hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) will all grow and bloom in full sun or light shade.

Clematis and climbing roses are traditional perennial favorites. Try growing both together for twice the bloom.

Native and non-invasive honeysuckle vines (Lonicera) will flower throughout most of the summer in full sun or partial shade.

Sweet Autumn clematis is a vigorous grower covered with fragrant white flowers in the fall. Sweet Summer Love is a cultivar with small fragrant purple flowers that appear in late summer.

A bit more information: An edible option is Artic Beauty kiwi. It’s less aggressive than other hardy kiwis and the green, white and pink leaves create a colorful display all season. You will need one male for every 1 to 5 female kiwis, if you also want to enjoy the small grape-sized fruit.