Dead trees make an ideal home and shelter for wildlife, and sometimes, a decent vertical structure for other plants. However, before planting any climber/vining plants near a dead tree, you need to do one crucial thing:
Hire a professional tree expert or arborist to investigate the cause of your tree’s death. If it died because of pests or diseases, you don’t want it to spread to other plants.
The size of the tree is also another factor. If it’s a relatively small tree, there should be no problem growing climbers next to it. But if it’s a medium to large-sized tree, an expert will let you know the best course of action for it. You don’t want to be responsible for any damages the tree may cause when it falls down or breaks. Growing a climber will only exacerbate the situation further.
Once the arborist or tree expert has given the green light on your tree to grow a climber up it, you can choose to plant any one of the following listed climbers/viners. Below, I’ve divided each plant according to the suitable tree size it should grow on for your perusal.
Let’s start with the Tall trees; about 6 feet and above. Some climber/vining plants are aggressive growers and will overtake smaller trees if left to their own devices. Letting them grow up larger trees is a better alternative.
If this article gets your creative juices flowing, check out another article we have about landscaping for your trees, even if your tree is a dead tree, this could help spruce your yard up: How to do Rock Landscaping Around Trees – With Examples or if you want to go crazy: How to Design & Landscape a Vibrant Small Garden Outdoors.
Some vines, like a Wisteria, are even trained into tree-like shapes.
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Table of contents
- 1. Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus Quinquefolia)
- 2. Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea Barbara)
- 3. Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia Tomentosa)
- 4. Morning Glory (Ipomoea)
- 5. Climbing Rose (Rose ‘New Dawn’)
- 6. Trumpet Vine (Campsis Radicans)
- 7. Italian Clematis (Clematis Viticella)
- 8. Winter Flowering Clematis (Clematis Cirrhosa)
- 9. Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus Tricuspidata)
- 10. American Bittersweet (Celastrus Scandens)
- 11. Clematis
- 12. Scarlet Runner Beans (Phaseolus Coccineus)
- 13. Hairy Honeysuckle (Lonicera Hirsuta)
- 14. Potato Vine (Solanum Iaxum)
- 15. Cape Plumbago (Plumbago Auriculata)
- 16. Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum Jasminoides)
1. Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus Quinquefolia)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8
- Infrequent watering as it is drought-tolerant once established
- Preferably fertile, loamy soil, but it can grow in clay and sandy soil too
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 3-10.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? No. It’ll climb up using its tendrils and adhesive pads.
- Any special notes about this climber/vining plant? Its fruits are poisonous, so keep them away from human and pets’ accidental consumption.
2. Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea Barbara)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun where possible, but it can grow even in deep shade, i.e., 2 hours or less of direct sunlight
- Acidic soil with a pH of less than 6
- Regular watering as this plant loves a constantly damp, sometimes wet, environment
- Fertile loamy or sandy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 6-8.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? No. It can climb itself upwards by using aerial rootlets to support its upward growth.
- Any special notes about this climber? Don’t plant this close to your home or any wooden structures. It catches fire easily, regardless of whether it’s dead or alive.
3. Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia Tomentosa)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- Loamy or sandy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 5-8.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? No. Once it is planted near the tree, it’ll climb and twine its ways up, no problem.
- Any special notes about this climber? This plant is highly toxic upon ingestion, causing lethal kidney failure. Whatever you do, don’t take a bite out of it.
4. Morning Glory (Ipomoea)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8, but it can grow well in slightly acidic and alkaline soil too
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- It can grow in any soil as long as it is fertile
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 2-11.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? No. They can pretty much climb up the tree like troublemaking monkeys about to colonize your entire fruit stock.
- Any special notes about this climber? Although not categorized as an invasive species, it is listed as a persistent weed in some areas of the US.
5. Climbing Rose (Rose ‘New Dawn’)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it can tolerate growing under light shade too
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8 but can grow well in slightly acidic soil too
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- Fertile, loamy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 5-9.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? Yes. Place them on wires or mesh nets up towards the lower branches. From there, they can pull themselves up the tree.
- Any special notes about this climber? This particular climbing rose is one of the more popular ones and has even won awards!
6. Trumpet Vine (Campsis Radicans)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8 but can grow well in slightly acidic and alkaline soil too
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions that dry out first each time
- Fertile clay or sandy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 4-10.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? No. It’s a pretty solid and tenacious climber that uses aerial rootlets to grow its way up a tree.
- Any special notes about this climber? This plant has a pretty high flammability rate, meaning it can catch fire easily. So don’t plant this anywhere near your homes or wooden structures.
7. Italian Clematis (Clematis Viticella)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8 but can grow well in slightly alkaline soil too
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- Prefers loamy soil but will grow in clay and sandy soil too
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 4-8.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? No. This particular plant is a pretty good climber and will easily wind its way up a tree.
- Any special notes about this climber? Like all Clematis species, it is toxic, so avoid ingesting any part of the plant. It will cause a red, itchy rash when parts of the plant or its sap come into contact with skin.
8. Winter Flowering Clematis (Clematis Cirrhosa)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- Prefers loamy soil but will grow in clay and sandy soil too
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 7-9.
- Does it need any assistance in climbing up trees? Yes. Place them on wires or mesh nets up towards the lower branches. Once they’ve latched onto them, they’ll quickly shimmy their way up the rest of the tree.
- Any special notes about this climber? Because this plant blooms in the winter, it provides a good food source for beneficial insects such as bees.
And now we have the Small trees. These guys are typically 2 – 5 feet high. The following listed climber/vining plants are pretty chill in their growth habit, which suits small to medium-sized trees. However, almost all of them will require wires or mesh nets to reach the tree’s lower branches as initial assistance. From there, they can start to climb up with no problem.
9. Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus Tricuspidata)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun or partial shade
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8
- Infrequent watering as it prefers damp conditions that dry out first
- Fertile clay, or sandy soil but it can also grow in gravelly soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 4-8.
- Any special notes about this climber? If you’re looking to attract more pollinators, bees will absolutely love it if you plant this in your garden.
10. American Bittersweet (Celastrus Scandens)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow under light shade too
- Alkaline soil with a pH higher than 8
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- Fertile loamy soil but can also grow in clay and sandy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 3-8.
- Any special notes about this climber? Every part of this plant is poisonous upon ingesting to humans. But birds absolutely love its attractive red fruits. So keep them away from anyone’s mouths, and stick around to watch the birds.
11. Clematis
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it can grow under partial shade too.
- Neutral soil with pH 6-8
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- It can grow in any type of soil as long as it is well-draining
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 3-9.
- Any special notes about this climber? Wear gloves when handling this plant as it will cause an itchy rash upon skin contact. It’s also poisonous to pets and humans upon consumption.
12. Scarlet Runner Beans (Phaseolus Coccineus)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- Fertile, loamy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 7-11.
- Any special notes about this climber? The flowers, green pods, and seeds are edible. But these days, the plant is grown as an ornamental because of its pretty flowers.
13. Hairy Honeysuckle (Lonicera Hirsuta)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even in partial shade.
- Neutral soil with a pH of 6-8 but can grow well in slightly alkaline soil too.
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions that dry out first each time
- It can grow well in sandy and gravelly soil.
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 2-6.
- Any special notes about this climber? Surprisingly, this plant is considered endangered in some parts of the US, like Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
14. Potato Vine (Solanum Iaxum)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade.
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions that dry out first each time
- Fertile, loamy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 8-10.
- Any special notes about this climber? This plant is also called ‘Jasmine Nightshade’ because its flowers resemble true jasmine.
15. Cape Plumbago (Plumbago Auriculata)
- What does it need to grow?
- Full sun, but it’ll grow even under partial shade.
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions
- Sandy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 9-11.
- Any special notes about this climber? You’ll need to wear gloves when handling this plant as skin-to-skin contact will cause a rash to break out.
16. Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum Jasminoides)
- What does it need to grow?
- Partial shade from the sun; being exposed to direct full sun will cause it to get damaged
- Regular watering as it prefers consistently damp conditions that dry out first
- Loamy soil
- What hardiness zone does it grow in? Zones 7-10.
- Any special notes about this climber? Despite its name, this plant doesn’t belong in the same family as true Jasmines.
And there you have it! I hope you have fun watching these climber/vining plants grow all over your dead tree because it’s a sight to behold. I must stress that you consult a certified arborist or tree expert beforehand – that way, you can have your plants grow without any worries. Happy planting!
References:
https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/pinellasco/2020/01/29/the-living-dead-trees/
http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/suwanneeco/2017/12/18/can-dead-trees-be-good-for-your-yard/
https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2073/2014/03/Landscaping-with-Dead-Trees.pdf
https://extension.umd.edu/resource/how-do-you-decide-when-remove-tree
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/virginia-creeper-parthenocissus-quinquefolia/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/parthenocissus-quinquefolia/
https://hgic.clemson.edu/virginia-creeper/
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/fs1152/
https://extension.psu.edu/the-climbing-hydrangea
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/hydrangea/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hydrangea-barbara/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/parthenocissus-tricuspidata/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/celastrus-scandens/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/aristolochia-tomentosa/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/clematis/
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/scarlet-runner-bean-phaseolus-coccineus/
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/scarlet-runner-bean-phaseolus-coccineus/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/ipomoea/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/rosa-new-dawn/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/campsis-radicans/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/lonicera-hirsuta/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/solanum-laxum/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/plumbago-auriculata/
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/trachelospermum-jasminoides/
Vines, just what I was looking for to climb up a very large Aspen (girth 18″, height 14-16 ft) that has been dead for only a year. I think Virginia Creeper will be my choice, however, I am wondering if I can also include a flowering vine to enhance the look.
Have you tried two vines on one tree?
Please let me know.
Thanks.
K
Hi Kathleen! I’ve personally not tried to plant two vines in one go yet, but feel free to do so! My only concern with that is depending on the vines chosen, one may outgrow the other as both compete for nutrients in the same area. All the best and do let us know how it goes 😀