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Nature’s unstoppable vines

These wild climbing hydrangeas have a life of their own—and easily hide your trash or car shelter

The climbing hydrangea is a splendid perennial vine that delights with its beautiful blooms in July–August. These five climbing hydrangeas are true eye-catchers in any yard.

Author Emmi Nissi
August 20, 2025Lue suomeksi

See how the vine hides the trash bins!

“A climbing hydrangea, planted about ten years ago, covers our trash shelter. I bought the seedlings for a low price one autumn. I haven’t really done anything special for them, aside from giving them a little fertilizer each spring.”-Sisko Aalto

The garden’s pride gets a splash of buttermilk now and then

“When we moved to our current yard in Hyvinkää, this climbing hydrangea was about one meter (3 ft) tall. I trained it to grow on a support, and now it’s several meters tall. The only downside is that the pine has started to wither, and I suspect the vine is stifling it. I’ve never fertilized my climbing hydrangea. I sometimes water it during long dry spells—and give it a splash of buttermilk every other year.”-Minna Palmunen

A weathered pine trunk for support

“Our climbing hydrangea is old, most likely part of the original yard plan from 1959. Inside it stands a weathered pine trunk as a support, which will soon need reinforcement. Our rocky yard in Porvoo has built-up garden beds, and this vine grows in one of them. In early summer, when it blooms, the climbing hydrangea is magnificent, full of blossoms and bumblebees. I care for it with basic fertilization, nothing special—perhaps more casually than many of my other plants. The climbing hydrangea is my favorite vine! Beneath it, I grow creeping forget-me-not as ground cover.”-Jaana Koskenniemi

Inspired by climbing vines? In this article we present 14 of the most beautiful climbing plants for your garden and balcony. Or check out 12 ideas, for handy ways to support your garden plants.

This climbing hydrangea cleverly disguises the car shelter wall

“I planted two climbing hydrangea seedlings against the car shelter wall in the summer of 2002. They’ve thrived well, and now cover the entire wall. Climbing hydrangea does well in the shade. Every spring, I give them rhododendron fertilizer, and in late summer, autumn fertilizer. My climbing hydrangeas bloom reliably every summer, and bumblebees love to buzz among the flowers. Even without leaves, I find the twisted vines with their dried blossoms fun to look at.” -Seija Wilen

A seven-meter (23 ft) summer cottage showpiece

“A climbing hydrangea grows in our garden at our summer cottage in Kullaa, Leineperi. This is our ninth summer here. When we arrived, the hydrangea was small—about one and a half meters (5 ft) tall—and was climbing up a pine trunk. My husband cut the pine at about seven meters (23 ft), and now the climbing hydrangea covers it completely. I water it during dry spells and occasionally fertilize it with chicken manure. There’s a birdhouse halfway up the trunk that’s been in active use. This summer, a pair of blue tits claimed it.”-Sirkka Ranne

Photos for this article: courtesy of the interviewees

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