Are you talking about climbers on the house or climbers on trellis'? Climbers on the house wall need to be chosen carefully since some of them can damage the surface.

Wisteria can be lovely and fragrant but it is really a monster that wants to be as big as your house - so they require lots and lots and lots of management. Pruning many times each year and a super strong structure for them to climb on. If you plant them near a house they will climb up to the roof while you have your back turned, then follow power lines, chimneys, phone/cable cords, etc. So if your house is built in a way that it would be easy to prune vines you might not have any problems but they work better on structures away from the house.

Hi John,

I would hazard a guess and say that it would be more than likely I would want to grow the roses or wisteria on a structure such as a pergola. I dont think I would want anything that would climb directly ONTO the house, which is why I am cabling the ivy to grow along a fence next to the ivy archway I already have in place, away from the house. Any ideas as to what would fit my conditions? Lyle

If you decide to get wisteria, btw, do get the 'Amethyst Falls' cultivar of Wisteria frutescens. That is the native one and it is not as aggressive plus it blooms at a very young age. You can usually buy 3 gallon plants that have blooms already.

Personally I think that Crossvine, Bignonia capreolata, is a great vine. The 'Tangerine Beauty' cultivar is just stunning. It is an evergreen vine.

ESH- I looked at one today at our local home improvement store. Those frutescens look lovely but I cannot stand the scent of the blossoms, they smell like cat pee, thats the best honest way I can describe it!

I did pick up a nice red/pink clematis vine for the southeast corner of my large porch. I think with a trellis and support it will do nicely there.

Lyle

Lyle I've looked at climbers and have read the following - hope others will share their experience with them. Zephyrine Drouhin (sp?) is a rose pink bourbon-type climber that is supposed to handle shade better than most roses - thought you might look into that for your south side? Supposed to have the bourbon fragrance and I've read on the rose forum here that some have had luck with it in the south. Also thought Cecile Brunner might make it in some shade based on reading recommendations. The ones I bought mail order arrived in sad shape and didn't make it.

The Greensboro Arboretum has a pergola with New Dawn and Fourth of July as two of the climbers. These were in full sun. The New Dawn is amazing but it is light blush/cream color, so I bought Fourth of July to go in front of my cream house. It's true red with some thin white streaks and is gorgeous. So far it's very healthy at my house with no spraying - it is in half clay/half black cow in a raised bed with a good layer of mulch.

I have Zephyrine Drouhin and have a terrible problem with black spot. It is beautiful and love the fragrance but the black spot gets really bad and it loses a lot of its leaves. Between that and after the JB's it grows back and then we start again with the black spot. I dug it out last year and have it sitting neglected in a pot in a shadier spot and it's one tough rose (wants another chance, lol) so I'm going to try siting it somewhere else, treat it with some of the natural cures folks on here have suggested and see if that helps. It's a fast climber for me, nearly thornless and blooms sporadically after its huge spring bloom. Worth having if I can figure out how to control the black spot without chems.

Crepuscule is a peach climber that is supposed to be very disease resistant. I just planted mine this year, so my experience is limited. From what I've read though, she is a great pergola rose, blooms like crazy, is thornless and will take some shade. However, she gets quite large. The size seems to be the only possible negative. Because she gets big, you have to be careful where you put her. Gorgeous rose, though.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crepuscule on a pergola

Lyle there was a thread recently on roses in partial shade. Do a search and you'll see it. There were several good suggestions.

Thanks All for your siggestions! My lady friend brought over a nice climbing rose that we planted in the south portion of the nature area directly behind the house. It sort of faces southwest and has only a bit of shading in the late afternoon from the trees further across the yard. it should do good here. When I figure out WHAT KIND of rose it is I'll let you know. The clematis has already grown 5 inches in length in 24 hours from planting. Wonderful!

Lyle

I second crepuscule but in fairness this rose likes heat. Do you have a brick wall you can plant it against? Cornelia is another good climber that will take some shade.

Both of these can be grown without a spray program.

Ronda

The rose I planted is called "Golden Showers". Golden-yellow large flowers. The box says it should do well where I planted it. It's not very big, perhaps 3 feet tall with a cane rod next to it in case it decides to snake around it, soon to be replaced by a makeshift trellis. I do have a corner of the house that is situated southwest that I think will do really good with a climbing rose. Lyle