Scented Climbers for Walls, Arches and Pergolas

A scented climber turns a plain wall into somewhere you want to linger. The best scented climbers for UK gardens include star jasmine, summer jasmine, honeysuckle, climbing roses, wisteria and sweet peas. Plant them close to a door, seat or path, and pick the right one for the way your wall faces.

Walk under an arch of jasmine on a warm June evening and the scent stops you in your tracks. This guide covers the best climbers for each spot, from a sunny pergola to a shady north wall. It also explains how to support them and when to prune. For a wider choice, including climbers grown just for their leaves, see our guide to the best climbing plants.

Where to plant a climber for the best scent

Plant scented climbers where you’ll actually smell them. That means within about 2m of a door, a path, a window you open or a seat. A far fence wastes the perfume.

Walls and corners trap still air, which holds scent far better than an open fence. Warmth helps too, so a sunny, sheltered courtyard smells stronger than an exposed spot.

Timing matters. Honeysuckle and jasmine smell strongest in the evening, when they’re calling in moths. Plant them by a patio or back door where you sit after work. Wisteria and most roses smell best by day, so they suit a path you use often.

Star jasmine

Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is one of the best scented climbers for a small garden. It has clusters of white, pinwheel-shaped flowers from June to September, with a sweet, jasmine scent. The glossy leaves are evergreen, so it looks good all year.

Give it a warm, sheltered south or west wall. It’s fairly hardy once settled, but young plants may need fleece in a cold first winter. It twines round wires or trellis and grows slowly to about 4-5m, so it suits a courtyard or the side of a door. Trim lightly after flowering. Our guide on how to grow star jasmine covers planting and care in detail.

Star jasmine flowers from June to September, and bees love it as much as people do.

Honeysuckle for evening scent and shady walls

Honeysuckle is the climber for a cooler wall and evening scent. The late Dutch honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum ‘Serotina’, has red-purple and cream flowers from July to October. Its rich, sweet scent is strongest at dusk and brings in moths and bumblebees.

It’s happy in part shade and on a north or east wall. It likes cool roots and its top growth in light, so plant it at the foot of a wall and let it climb towards the sun.

It twines strongly to about 4-7m, so give it sturdy wires, trellis or an arch. After flowering, cut out about a third of the oldest stems on mature plants to keep it fresh from the base. Water it in dry spells, as stress brings on powdery mildew. Our honeysuckle growing guide has more varieties to try.

Climbing roses with great scent

Scented climbing roses are the classic choice for a cottage wall or an arch. Three stand out.

• ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ has rich pink rosettes and a strong old-rose scent. It repeat-flowers from June into autumn and grows to about 3m.
• ‘New Dawn’ is very tough, with pale pink, sweetly scented flowers from June to autumn. It copes with a north or east wall and poor soil, and grows to 3-4m.
• ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’ is a vigorous rose with creamy-white, blush-tinted flowers and a lovely scent. It’s famous for flowering even on a cold north wall, and can reach 5m or more.

Tie climbing roses onto horizontal wires and bend the main stems sideways. That encourages flowering side shoots all along the stem, rather than just at the top. Prune in winter, removing dead and weak growth and shortening side shoots to two or three buds. Our guide to the best climbing roses has more to choose from.

Training rose stems sideways along wires gives flowers all the way along, not just at the top.

Wisteria for a pergola or sunny wall

Wisteria is the showstopper for a pergola, a long wall or a house front. Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) drapes long, lilac flower clusters in May, often before the leaves appear. The scent is soft and sweet.

It needs a warm, sunny south or west aspect. It’s fully hardy but very vigorous, so it needs a strong structure and yearly pruning. Buy a grafted, named plant, ideally one already flowering. Plants grown from seed can take many years to flower, or never flower at all.

Wisteria needs two prunes a year. In July or August, cut the long summer shoots back to about five or six leaves. In February, shorten them again to two or three buds. Our guide on how to prune wisteria walks you through both cuts.

Warning: All parts of wisteria are poisonous, especially the pea-like seed pods. Keep pods away from children and pets. Wisteria is strong enough to damage gutters and lift roof tiles, so keep it off the roof.

Wisteria over a pergola in May. It needs sun, a strong frame and two prunes a year to flower well.

Summer jasmine for warm evenings

Summer jasmine (Jasminum officinale) is the classic white jasmine of warm evenings. Clusters of small white flowers open from June to September, with a heady scent that’s strongest after sunset. One plant by an open window can scent a room.

It needs a warm, sheltered south or west wall and free-draining soil. It dislikes cold winds and wet ground, so give it your warmest spot in northern gardens.

It’s vigorous and scrambles over wires, a sturdy trellis or an arch over a path. Left alone, it soon becomes a tangle. After flowering, thin out old and crowded stems and tie in the rest. A seat nearby, such as the Rustic Straight Grey Granite Garden Bench, lets you enjoy the evening scent.

Put a seat where the evening scent collects, and you’ll use that corner every summer night.

Sweet peas for scent in a small space

Sweet peas give the most scent for the least space and cost. They’re hardy annuals grown from seed each year, climbing about 1.8-2m up canes, netting or an obelisk in one season.

Sweet peas up an obelisk fit even a small balcony, and the more you pick, the more they flower.

Old-fashioned types have the best perfume. Look for ‘Cupani’, ‘Matucana’ and ‘Painted Lady’ rather than varieties bred only for big flowers.

Sweet peas flower from June until autumn if you keep picking. The more you cut, the more they flower. Let pods form and flowering soon stops. Sow in autumn in a cold frame, or in February and March under cover. Plant out after the last frost in sun and rich soil, and water well. Our guide to growing sweet peas from seed covers it step by step.

Spring-scented clematis and akebia

Clematis armandii is evergreen, with long, leathery leaves and clusters of white, almond-scented flowers in March and April. It needs a warm, sheltered south or west wall, as cold wind scorches its leaves. It grows to about 4-5m.

Clematis montana is a vigorous spring favourite. Scented forms such as ‘Elizabeth’ carry masses of soft pink, vanilla-scented flowers in May. It’s tough and happy on most walls, including north-facing ones, but it’s big. Give it a large wall, shed or old tree.

Both are early-flowering clematis. Prune only if needed, straight after flowering. Cutting them in winter or spring removes the flowers. Our guide to pruning clematis by group explains the different types.

Akebia quinata, the chocolate vine, has small maroon-purple flowers in April and May with a soft chocolatey scent. It’s hardy, copes with sun or part shade and grows fast, so it’s great for covering an ugly fence or shed. Prune after flowering to keep it in check.

Scented climbers compared

Supports: wires, trellis, arches and pergolas

Put the support up before you plant. Climbers grip in different ways, and the wrong support leaves a plant flopping off the wall.

• Twiners, such as honeysuckle, jasmine, wisteria and akebia, wind their stems round wires or trellis.
• Tendril climbers, like clematis and sweet peas, grip with leaf stalks or tendrils, so they need thin wires, netting or twiggy supports.
• Roses can’t climb on their own. Tie them in by hand.

On a wall, fix horizontal wires with vine eyes, 30-45cm apart and about 5cm off the brickwork. That gap lets air move and stems twine. A timber trellis on battens does the same job and looks neater on a small wall.

Over a path, an arch lets you walk through the scent. A metal arch such as the Gothic Antiqued Metal Garden Arch suits a rose or jasmine. For a seating area, a sturdy timber pergola can carry heavy climbers like wisteria.

A rose arch over a path means you walk right through the scent. Tie in new shoots regularly.

Matching the climber to your wall

Check which way your wall faces before you buy. Stand with your back to the wall. If you’re facing south, it’s a south-facing wall, and warm.

A south or west wall is the warmest. Save it for sun-lovers that need heat to flower: wisteria, star jasmine, summer jasmine and Clematis armandii.

A north or east wall is cooler and shadier, but plenty of scented climbers cope. Honeysuckle, Clematis montana and the roses ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’ and ‘New Dawn’ all flower there. East walls get early sun, which can damage frosted flowers, so avoid very early flowerers there.

Whatever the aspect, plant about 30-45cm out from the wall, where the soil is less dry. Dig in compost and water new climbers well through their first two summers.

Tie young stems onto the wires with soft twine, fanning them out to cover the wall evenly.

When to prune scented climbers

Prune at the right time, or you’ll cut off next year’s flowers. As a rule, climbers that flower in spring are pruned straight after flowering. Those that flower later in summer can be tidied in late winter.

• Wisteria: cut long shoots in July or August, then again in February.
• Honeysuckle, Clematis armandii and Clematis montana: prune only after flowering, taking out old or crowded stems.
• Climbing roses: prune in winter, removing dead wood and shortening side shoots.
• Star jasmine and summer jasmine: thin out after flowering to stop tangles.
• Sweet peas: no pruning, just keep picking.

Month-by-month scented climber calendar

Common mistakes with scented climbers

• Planting where nobody goes. A scented climber on a far fence is wasted. Plant it by a door, path or seat.
• Putting a sun-lover on a cold wall. Wisteria and jasmine on a north wall give leaves but few flowers. Save shady walls for honeysuckle, montana and tough roses.
• Pruning at the wrong time. Cutting Clematis montana or armandii in winter removes the flowers. Prune them after flowering.
• Forgetting the support. Roses can’t cling like ivy. Fix wires or trellis before planting.
• Letting vigour run away. Wisteria, akebia and Clematis montana are huge. Give them a big, strong frame and prune every year.

Gardener’s tip: Train main stems as close to horizontal as you can. Bending them sideways makes far more flowering shoots, so the whole wall blooms, not just the top.

For more ideas for walls and fences, browse our plants section.

Now you’ve picked your climber, read our guide to training young climbers to get the shape right from the start.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most fragrant climbing plant for UK gardens?

Star jasmine and summer jasmine are two of the most fragrant climbers. Star jasmine flowers from June to September on a warm wall. Summer jasmine smells strongest on warm evenings. Both fill a courtyard or drift through an open window.

Which scented climber grows in shade or on a north wall?

Honeysuckle is the best scented climber for a north or shady wall. ‘Serotina’ flowers well in part shade and scents the evening air. The roses ‘Madame Alfred Carriere’ and ‘New Dawn’ and Clematis montana also flower on a cool wall.

What is the best scented climber for a pergola or arch?

Wisteria and climbing roses are the classic choices. Wisteria drapes scented lilac flowers through a pergola in May. Repeat-flowering roses such as ‘New Dawn’ cover an arch from June into autumn. Both need a sturdy structure.

How do I get climbers to smell stronger in the garden?

Plant them near seats, doors and paths, in a warm, sheltered spot. Warmth and still air hold the scent. Jasmine and honeysuckle smell strongest in the evening, so put them by a patio or back door.

Is wisteria poisonous and how vigorous is it?

Yes, all parts of wisteria are poisonous, especially the seeds and pods. It’s also very vigorous and can damage gutters and tiles. Keep it off the house roof, prune it twice a year and keep pods away from children and pets.

When do scented climbers flower in the UK?

Most flower between May and September. Clematis armandii and akebia start in spring, followed by wisteria and Clematis montana in May. Roses, honeysuckle and jasmine peak in June and July. Sweet peas keep going until autumn if you keep picking.

Which scented climber is best for a small garden?

Star jasmine is a great choice for a small garden. It’s evergreen, well behaved and slow-growing, so it suits a courtyard wall or trellis. Sweet peas up an obelisk give lots of scent in a tiny space and are cleared each autumn.