10 Gorgeous Plants to Grow Against a Fence (Flowers to Edibles!)

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If you want to use your linear and vertical gardening space creatively, you may wonder about the best plants to grow against a fence.

Well, you have many options! Such as lovely flowering ornamentals like clematis, a wall of bamboo, or delicious edibles like climbing cucumbers! 

But – which plants are most suitable for growing against a fence? And which are the most striking?

Well – we’re about to brainstorm a list containing 10 of our favorites.

We’ll let you decide which ones are the best!

10 Best Plants to Grow Against a Fence

Planting along your fence adds privacy, beautifies your landscape, and provides more vertical gardening space for edibles and ornamentals. No matter what type of fence you have, whether you want to grow edible garden fence climbing plants, or if you’re looking for a living privacy wall, this list has you covered! 

So, if you’re looking for inspiration for growing plants along your fence line, read on for my top 10 faves! 

1. Clematis 

lovely clematis flowers deep purple
Clematis is one of our favorite plants to grow against a fence! They love growing in full sun – but their roots prefer the shade. They’re famous for being excellent climbers! And will gladly ascend along your fence, trellis, arbor, or lattice framework.

We’ll start the list with one of our favorites. Clematis immediately comes to mind as a brilliant flowering ornamental climber perfect for planting along fences. Depending on what you’re looking for, you can choose from varieties that offer a splash of bi-color beauty, such as the red and fuchsia flowers of Kilian Donahue clematis. Or year-round foliage and lovely white flowers such as Armand’s clematis. 

You may want to add a trellis, wire, or mesh net to train the clematis vines. For instance, with a picket fence, you can add netting that the vines can cling to and spread across. Netting prevents the plant from weighing down one fence section.

2. Cucumbers 

cucumber plant climbing on lattice fence in garden
Cucumbers are underrated plants to grow against a fence! Various cucumber cultivars are easy to grow. Their tendrils will readily grab fences, bamboo stakes, trellises, and walls. Cucumber plants also produce plenty of yummy gourds throughout the growing season. So you can’t lose!

Okay! One of my favorite plants to grow along fence lines is cucumber. You get to harvest refreshing summer fruit for salads, cucumber water, and pickling while also decorating your fence. Try the marketmore variety for succulent salad cucumbers!

And hey, if pickling is your thing, check our pick of the five best cucumbers for pickling! 

Also, an added benefit of growing cucumbers vertically is that you’ll have easier access to the fruits. Just pluck them right off the vines as the plant meanders upwards along the fence.

Remember, these plants love water, so make sure they drink up thoroughly for healthy, juicy cucumbers. 

3. Nasturtium 

nasturtium growing near cedar fence in a raised garden
Nasturtiums hail from South America – and come in trailing and dwarf varieties. They also look beautiful and help decorate any backyard trellis or barrier. Look at these lovely nasturtium flowers growing against a cedar fence. We love the contrasting shades of tan, brown, and orange!

Here’s a recommendation for a flowering vine that is both highly ornamental and edible. We’re talking about nasturtium! It’s one of my favorite climbing plants. By far! Nasturtium has adorable round leaves. And stunning orange and yellow flowers. 

Plus, you can munch on both the leaves and the flowers! I love the easy-to-grow Jewel Mix variety. 

The leaves have a zingy, spicy taste. And the flowers are pleasant and mild. I always plant nasturtium along my garden fence for the savory addition the leaves and flowers make to my salads. 

So, if you love spicy food and gardening, you’ll want to grow these cuties along your fence. No doubt!

Read More – 16 Yellow Flowering Bushes for Lovely Backyard Decor. And Lush Gardens!

4. Bamboo 

green leaf bamboo in summer garden
Bamboo is one of our favorite plants to grow against a fence. Or wall! If you let your bamboo trees mature – they begin to form a barrier in their own right. They’re one of our favorites if you want a thick privacy fence. They help keep nosey neighbors and looky-loos away!

Alright, this next suggestion is for creating a stunning living privacy border along your fence line. Bamboo is one of my favorite plants of all time. I am currently nurturing a row of this amazing evergreen grass along my fence that borders a road. Most of my bamboo is the Phyllostachys atrovaginata variety. 

In suitable conditions, some varieties of bamboo can grow several inches per day during their growing season! When my bamboo shoots come up in the spring, I am astonished by how rapidly they shoot up. Mine grow to 15-20 feet within about three months. It’s truly amazing to watch! 

But – make sure to choose between clumping and running varieties carefully. Running bamboo varieties spread horizontally very quickly by sending out shoots, and they can rapidly grow far beyond the area you intended to plant them in. You can effectively contain them through a variety of methods. Trenching works wonders. So don’t let that deter you!

5. Kentucky Wisteria

blue moon kentucky wisteria growing in park
Want plants to grow against a fence with a deep blue shade? Or maybe you have a massive stockade fence or trellis that needs decorating? Then Kentucky wisteria is one of our top picks. Kentucky wisteria is perfect if you have a long arbor or tall fence because they grow up to 50 feet long!

Wisteria can add a breathtaking display of climbing vines and hanging flowers – doubly so if you’re a gardener with fences made of sturdy materials.

Known for being the hardiest of wisteria, Kentucky wisteria, such as the Blue Moon variety, grows well in colder climates. And it produces stunning displays of blue and purple hanging flowers that can grow up to a foot in length.

These plants are robust. However, their weight can weigh down less-sturdy fences like unsupported wire field fencing. So, it’s vital to ensure your garden fence can handle its weight and intensity of growth before planting. 

Read More – 11 Beautiful Herbs With Lovely White Flowers!

6. Climbing Roses

zephirine drouhin roses climbing on a garden trellis
Here you see a lovely Zephirine Drouhin climbing rose slowly rising on a backyard garden trellis. Another hidden feature of these spectacular climbing roses is that they don’t have thorns! You can effortlessly train and guide their vines without wearing gloves.

If you have a chain link fence and are looking for ways to add some beauty to your fence line, planting climbing roses can be a great (and great smelling!) option.

Zephirine Drouhin is known for its stunning dark pink blooms, thornless vines, dense growing habit, and fantastic fragrance. This climbing rose adds a whimsical, cottage-like charm to your fence line. Enjoy flower blooms from late spring through fall. 

7. Flowering Dogwood Trees

dogwood trees blossoming in front of white fences
Flowering dogwoods are some of our favorite plants to grow against a fence. They grow happily in much of the eastern US – from Florida to Massachusetts. They’re also an understory tree – and love growing in partial shade if possible.

If you want to plant a line of flowering trees along a fence line to add a boost of privacy, I’d recommend flowering dogwood trees

They don’t get overwhelmingly tall (usually about 20 feet). Plus, they’ll provide a gorgeous display of delicate white, pink, or red blooms from spring through fall. 

However, these trees need space to grow, so ensure to plant them about 10 feet away from the fence line. 

8. Runner Beans 

runner bean plants growing on garden trellis
Want more edible plants to grow against a fence? Then try runner beans! Runner beans can grow upwards of 15 feet – so we hope you have adequate fencing or a tall garden trellis to support them! They also make excellent food forest crops. And we read they can make suitable lima bean substitutes.

With a name like runner beans? You know these plants are just itching to race up your fence! One of my favorite varieties of heirloom runner beans is Scarlet Emperor. Scarlet Emperor produces gorgeous edible red flowers. And delicious, hearty beans. 

If you provide them with a trellis, netting, or wire fencing, the vines will happily spread up and along your fence line without becoming too tangled or unruly. 

9. Hydrangea 

white picket fence with colorful hydrangeas
If breathtaking blooms are what you’re after, it’s tough to beat these beautiful hydrangeas. The thing we love most about bigleaf hydrangeas is that they can change color based on the pH of your soil. But no matter the color, all hydrangeas look perfect ascending on your backyard – or front-yard picket fence.

For picket fences, hydrangeas are an absolute winner. When planted close enough to the garden fence and trained to snake between the fence slots, these beauties will fill the spaces between your gaps with dreamy cloud-like bursts of white, blue, and pink pastel flowers. 

I’d recommend the Incrediball smooth hydrangea variety, which grows about five feet high and four to five feet wide. It has hardy, strong stems. And it displays gorgeous, basketball-sized, round, showy clusters of blooms. 

10. Cherry Tomatoes 

red cherry tomato vine growing along garden fence
We saved some of the most delicious plants to grow against a fence for last. Cherry tomatoes! We recommend growing an indeterminate tomato variety because their vines stretch and sprawl more than their bushy determinate counterparts. The best part is that you’ll have plenty of snacks and salad upgrades in your garden. And along your fence!

Last but certainly not least, cherry tomatoes are an excellent choice! They’d do great, especially along mesh wire field fencing. Or you can support them with trellises or netting. 

These little cuties will climb up your fence and produce abundantly delicious fruits. They’re perfect for salads, pasta sauces, and canning – you name it! You can even check out our article on our favorite recipes for fermented tomatoes! 

And – training your cherry tomatoes to climb up your fence is ideal for plucking and eating right off the vine! And there are endless heirloom varieties of cherry tomatoes to choose from and consider. Some of my favorites are the most mouth-watering varieties, including Black cherry, Gold Nugget, and Sweeties.

Read More – 25 Trailing Flowering Plants Perfect for Brightening Your Day!

Best Plants for Growing Against Fences – Resources

We love growing flowers against the fence – front yards and back!

So – we penned a massive list of the best colorful, fragrant, and trailing flowers perfect for homestead and fence decor.

We hope they brighten your day!

  1. 1,000+ Heavenly Blue Morning Glory Seeds | Seed Needs

  2. 1,000+ Heavenly Blue Morning Glory Seeds | Seed Needs

    Heavenly blue morning glory flowers are some of the best-suited plants to grow against a fence! Their vines are tall. And they love climbing trellises and fences. We also love that Seeds Needs never provides GMO seeds. They’re heirlooms and naturally pollinated

    Marigolds grow best with full sunlight. And decorate your garden fence with a lovely blue shade that neighbors will compliment! We’ve heard that these Ipomoea Tricolor flowers have a slightly purple tint. Either way, we think they’re the perfect climbing vine!


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    09/02/2022 03:08 pm GMT

  3. Marketmore 76 Cucumber Seeds | Gardeners Basics

  4. Marketmore 76 Cucumber Seeds | Gardeners Basics

    Marketmore 76 is one of our favorite cucumber cultivars for growing on trellises, bamboo fences, or within raised garden beds. They’re excellent vertical climbers – and can help save plenty of room for your ground cover garden crops.

    These cucumber seeds are non-GMOheirloom, and grown in the USA! Marketmore 76 cucumbers are also perfect for slicing. And eating! We love chopping and tossing them into fresh garden salads, veggie-stuffed sandwiches, and cucumber salad!


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    09/02/2022 03:08 pm GMT

  5. Phyllostachys Atrovaginata Incense Bamboo #1 | Maya Gardens, Inc.

  6. Phyllostachys Atrovaginata Incense Bamboo #1 | Maya Gardens, Inc.

    Bamboo is the perfect plant for growing against fences! Or – you can use them to erect a powerful hedge in their own right! The name of this bamboo cultivar is Phyllostachys Atrovaginata. They’re tremendously hardy and withstand temperatures as low as -10 to -15 degrees Fahrenheit.

    The Phyllostachys Atrovaginata adores growing in full sun. Expect to receive a live, one-year-old plant of about one to two feet. But beware! These healthy and robust bamboo plants grow fast and can reach up to thirty-five feet. Perfect for a cheap and affordable grove – or a worthy fence companion.


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    09/02/2022 03:08 pm GMT

  7. Amethyst Falls Wisteria Vine 1 Gallon | Live Shrub | Perfect Plants

  8. Amethyst Falls Wisteria Vine 1 Gallon | Live Shrub | Perfect Plants

    Amethyst Falls Wisteria is one of our favorite plants to grow against a fence if you also want plenty of butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds! It’s a floriferous perennial that grows roughly three to five feet yearly. They grow fast – and you should expect a full-grown wisteria plant of 15 to 20 feet after several years. 

    You’ll receive a live, one-gallon wisteria plant ready for planting. Each spring and summer, your wisteria plant provides breathtaking violet blooms. Wisteria is also surprisingly cold-hardy and thrives in USDA zones five through nine without stress. Grow your wisteria plant in the full sun for the best results!


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    09/02/2022 03:08 pm GMT

Conclusion

And there you have it! From providing the backdrop to displaying bold, pillowy hydrangea blooms to supporting delicious walls of cherry tomatoes, fences hold endless potential for gardening. 

So, have you beautified your fence line with charming climbing vines or plucked edibles from your picket fence? Have any favorite plants for growing along garden fences that we didn’t mention? Or tips for keeping climbers from being unruly?

Let us know! We’d love to hear from you! 

Thanks for reading. And happy gardening! 

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  • Cammi Morgan author scaled - Survival Gardening

    Cammi Morgan writes about all things animals, plants, and ecological-centered living from the hollers of Southeast Appalachia where she lives off-grid in her self-built cabin.

    She shares 20 forested acres with her wonderful friends, an ever-growing pack of rescue dogs, and all the plants and critters who call these woods home.

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