38 Best Plants to Cover a Fence & Wall

Raul Cornelius is a Senior Editor at BalconyGardenWeb and an expert in flower and herb cultivation based in Phoenix, Arizona. A frequent speaker at horticultural events, he is also an active contributor to Facebook flower groups. Holding an MBA and a BCom, Raul blends his gardening skills with strong leadership and analytical abilities. Passionate about writing and photography, he enjoys early mornings with coffee and books, and nature bike rides during weekends.
Learn About Our Editorial Policy

2-Minute Read

Here are the Best Plants to Cover a Fence. These will help you provide a natural privacy screen and a beautiful view as well.

If you want to screen your fence or wall in style, then you can try growing one of these Best Plants to Cover a Fence. They offer privacy while providing a beautiful outlook to the landscape.

Have a look at the best privacy fence ideas for backyards here


Best Plants to Cover a Fence

Vines

1. English Ivy

shutterstock/crystaldream

Botanical Name: Hedera helix

USDA Zones: 6-9

One of the easiest and good-looking plants, this vine is easy to grow and covers the spot quickly, providing a thick layer of green foliage! However, it can be invasive and you might have to prune it on regular basis to ensure it does not end up becoming a nuisance.

Here are the best English Ivy varieties 

2. Curtain Creeper

Botanical Name: Vernonia elaeagnifolia

USDA Zones: 5-11

If you want a vine that beautifully falls over your fence and covers it completely, then you must grow a cotton creeper. Just make sure to prune it regularly to keep it under control.

3. Chilean Potato Bush

Botanical Name: Solanum crispum ‘Glasnevin’

USDA Zones: 7-11

The attractive bright green leaves of the potato vine contrast beautifully with its fragrant blue-purple flowers. The plant grows best in full sun.

4. Garlic Creeper

Botanical Name: Mansoa alliacea

USDA Zones: 8-11

If you are someone who loves the color purple, then this is the plant for you. This low-maintenance ornamental vine also grows funnel-shaped flowers that are highly fragrant.

5. Rangoon Creeper

Best Plants to Cover a Fence 42

Botanical Name: Combretum indicum

USDA Zones: 6-10

Popular for its bunch of flowers, Rangoon creeper will keep you happy with its awesome combination of green foliage and red blooms, and scented flowers. It does best in full sun.

6. The Arctic Kiwi

Peter Turner Photography/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Actinidia kolomikta

USDA Zones: 3-8

Be it trellises, walls, or fences, this vine will be happy to climb and trail them all. For best foliage color, grow it where it gets dappled sunlight.

7. Crimson Glory Vine

Best Plants to Cover a Fence 43

Botanical Name: Vitis coignetiae

USDA Zones: 4-8

As the name suggests, this grapevine cousin looks exceptional with its crimson autumn foliage color. The best part is, it also grows contrasting green flowers.

8. Trailing Abutilon

tamu1500/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Abutilon megapotamicum

USDA Zones: 7-10

The attractive parrot-green, heart-shaped leaves of the plant pair really well with the contrasting bell-shaped red flowers. It does best in direct sunlight.

9. Passionfruit Vine

Best Plants to Cover a Fence 44
imgur

Botanical Name: Passiflora edulis

USDA Zones: 8-12

Passionfruit vine has many different varieties that can be used to brighten up a fence under full sun.

10. Boston Ivy

Blue Corner Studio/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Parthenocissus tricuspidata

USDA Zones: 4-9

This beautiful climber is an excellent choice for covering fences and connects itself to the area with tendrils. The best thing about this climber is the foliage that changes the colors from yellow, orange, and red if grown in full sun.

11. Jasmine

nadtochiy/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Jasminum

USDA Zones: 6-11

Many jasmine varieties are ideal for covering fences. Pick Jasminum officinale that offers white fragrant blooms with a dash of pink. It grows fast, so keep it under control with regular pruning.

‘Chinese Star Jasmine’ is another great choice for covering a fence – it shows off fragrant small white blooms and bright green vine and leaves.

12. Coral Pea

azplantlady

Botanical Name: Hardenbergia violacea

USDA Zones: 8-11

It’s a beautiful evergreen climber with pea-like flowers in the shades of pink, white, or purple. It prefers sunny or partially shaded areas.

13. Chinese Wisteria

msdel

Botanical Name: Wisteria sinensis

USDA Zones: 5-9

Wisteria is admired for immensely fragrant lilac blooms and is a great choice for covering fences, archways, pergolas due to its draping flowers.

14. Dutchman’s Pipe

Botanical Name: Aristolochia macrophylla

USDA Zones: 7-11

This deciduous flowering vine can grow up to 20 or 30 feet long. The vibrant, heart-shaped large green leaves fill up densely and cover fences where you need privacy and exotic flowers.

15. Bougainvillea

MT.PHOTOSTOCK/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Bougainvillea

USDA Zones: 7-12

This tropical plant with twisting branches covered in thorns with heart-shaped, oval leaves and clusters of blooms is an apt choice for covering fences.

16. Clematis

davesgarden

Botanical Name: Clematis spp.

USDA Zones: 4-9

Clematis grows rapidly if it finds support for the vine to climb on fences, poles, or trellis. This versatile vine grows up to 20-30 feet in several months and gives perfect coverage.

17. Climbing Hydrangea

Botanical Name: Hydrangea petiolaris

USDA Zones: 4-8

This beautiful flowering vine climbs on fences, trellis, trees and grows up to 30-50 feet tall. It takes few years to establish and flowers from early summer to mid-fall.

18. Honeysuckle

Botanical Name: Lonicera

USDA Zones: 5-10

Honeysuckle vines are heat-tolerant fragrant plants that bear well to a sturdy fence, trellis, or post and cover the area fast in a short span of time.

19. Trumpet Vine

Mary Ann Madsen/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Campsis radicans

USDA Zones: 4-9

It can grow in a range of conditions like heat, cold, sunny, or shade. The bright orange and red blooms enhance the overall look of the wall.

20. Black-Eyed Susan Vine

lovelymantiqueira

Botanical Name: Thunbergia alata

USDA Zones: 3-10

Black-Eyed Susan Vine makes for a spectacular focal point when grown to cover fences, trellis, or arbor. It makes a rapid privacy screen, and you can also combine it with purple hyacinth bean or morning glory for a fantastic look.

21. Hyacinth Bean

Botanical Name: Dolichos lablab

USDA Zones: 7-11

This vigorous annual vine with pink-purple blooms and red-purple pods can add a pop of colors to your fence or trellis. It can grow up to 10-15 feet high and does best in full sun.

22. Hops

Botanical Name: Humulus lupulus

USDA Zones: 5-9

The attractive climbing vines of hops are an ideal choice for covering shabby fences, as its tendrils connect themselves to frames. Growing up to 15-20 feet in length, it offers dense foliage and provides superb privacy.

23. Morning Glory

flickr

Botanical Name: Ipomoea purpurea

USDA Zones: 3-10

Morning Glory is an old-fashioned flowering vine with thin tendrils that wrap around poles and wires when climbing over fences or trellis. It is easy to grow; plant it under full sun.

24. Climbing Rose

Botanical Name: Rosa

USDA Zones: 5-11

You can grow climbing roses to cover fences, providing adequate support to its canes. Train the long cane to grow in a horizontal position, the flowers spread out and give great visual and coverage.

25. Carolina Jessamine

Botanical Name: Gelsemium sempervirens

USDA Zones: 7-10

This beautiful twining vine with deep green foliage and matching yellow flowers can grow up to 15-20 feet. It does well in both full and indirect light.

26. Mandevilla

gardengatemagazine

Botanical Name: Mandevilla spp

USDA Zones: 8-11

This flowering vine is great for small fences and trellises, as it has tendrils that help the plant to attach to anything.

27. Virginia Creeper

yarinde

Botanical Name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia

USDA Zones: 4-9

If you want colorful foliage, then go for ‘Red Wall’ and ‘Yellow Wall,’ which have leaves that take color according to their names in fall! It does well in part shade.

28. Sweet Autumn Clematis

Botanical Name: Clematis terniflora

USDA Zones: 5-9

Come summer and this vine will greet you with exceptional small white flowers that contrast really well with the dark green foliage.

29. Chocolate Vine

Botanical Name: Akebia quinata

USDA Zones: 4-9

Also popular by the name Five Leaf Akebia, it can grow up to 30-40 feet and works as a great screen plant for the fences. It does well in both sun and shade.

30. Moonflower Vine

Botanical Name: Ipomoea alba

USDA Zones: 8-12

The vine grows 5-6 inches wide white flowers that look like the shape of the moon. It grows up to 15-20 feet and does well in the sun and partial shade.

31. Crossvine

flickr

Botanical Name: Bignonia capreolata

USDA Zones: 5-9

This vine is native to the US and grows orange trumpet-shaped flowers that look really beautiful with the green foliage. Grow ‘Tangerine Beauty if you want to attract hummingbirds!


Trees and Shrubs

32. Bamboo

Marc Graessle/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Bambusoideae

USDA Zones: 5-8

Create a green and lush privacy screen by growing multiple bamboo plants together. They are also one of the fastest-growing, so grow them in raised planters to control the growth.

33. Arborvitae

Olha Trotsenko/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Thuja

USDA Zones: 3-11

The dense and thick foliage of these evergreen plants is an excellent choice for privacy screens. It does well in a variety of climate types and is also easy to maintain.

34. Privet

 

Botanical Name: Ligustrum

USDA Zones: 3-8

The lush foliage of this semi-evergreen shrub is an ideal choice for privacy. Given the right care and growing conditions, it can grow up to 2-4 feet each year.

35. Boxwood

degroots

Botanical Name: Buxus

USDA Zones: 5-8

A popular choice for borders, it also makes for a great privacy plant. Do not be too aggressive when it comes to pruning, and it can grow up to 15-20 feet tall in no time.

36. Holly

hedgesdirect

Botanical Name: Ilex

USDA Zones: 3-11

Coming in different types that range from green to variegated, holly can be a good choice as a privacy screen. Sky Pencil Holly is the one you should go for.

37. Hicks Yew

Botanical Name: Taxus × media

USDA Zones: 5-8

The plant may not be as personable as the others on the list, but it does the work with its evergreen backdrop of soft needles. Come winter and it’ll be laden with berries!

38. Euonymus

Fotoksa/Shutterstock

Botanical Name: Euonymus japonicus

USDA Zones: 6-9

The best thing about this genus is it comes in green, gold, and variegated varieties. The plant does well in all weather types and provides a lush hedge.

Have a look at some beautiful indoor vines here

Recent Posts

Join our 3 Million Followers:

[easy-followers hide_title="yes" new_window="yes" nofollow="yes" show_total="no" total_type="text_before" columns="3" template="roundcolor" nospace="no" hide_value="no" hide_text="no"]

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here