Please tell me about good vines and climbers!

A high concrete retaining wall has been built behind my home on a neighbour's property. It is built from stacked blocks of concrete that are approximately 5'x2.5'x2', and is about 10'-12' high. I would like to camouflage this wall with a selection of vines, and have thought about ivy (don't like), virginia creeper (believe it turns a brilliant red but is deciduous?), wisteria (is it deciduous?), honeysuckle (deciduous I believe, but is perfumed and good for bees and hummingbirds), clematis (I belive Amandi is evergreen, others deciduous). Advice welcomed about what mixtures would be good. I live on the west coast of British Columbia, mild winters, and sorry!, I should know the zone!
Louis.

 

Virginia creeper can be deciduous or evergreen depending on how cold your area gets, but it's best to plan on it losing those lovely leaves. Ivy is on the invasive lists, so it's just as well that you don't like it. There are evergreen clematis, which will attract bees, and Honeysuckle is deciduous but attracts all sorts of fun winged wildlife.

Not sure about Wisteria. If you don't get too much frost and the retaining wall is in a sheltered location, you can try Bougainvillea, but it will also be deciduous for you. Grapes, another deciduous climber, are both beautiful and edible; the vine they leave behind for the winter can be lovely and decorative, and then you can cut it off and they'll go again. Same goes for Akebia quinata and Passiflora incarnata, both of which are quick growers.

Other things that I might suggest are squarely in the middle of the BC invasive list, so I won't say anything about them, other than to beware of Morning Glories.

You can find your zone by clicking on the "Hardiness Zone Maps" link in the right-hand panel.

 

UBC Botanical Garden has a walk-through vine display structure showing multiple kinds, there is also all the different Asian species growing through and up trees in the Lam garden there. If it's not feasible for you to visit these displays maybe there is another garden closer to you where you can view and assess assorted climbers.

 

You could try espaliering a fruit tree or a pyrocantha (firethorn) I saw some spectacular specimens in France a few years ago. A bit of work. What aspect does the wall face - north? South? It will influence which plant you choose. You could build an attractive trellis in front of it so no matter what you have something attractive to look at. You could build a series of shoji screens in front of it, backlight it and make a feature of it. If you have enough space in front of the wall you could plant a large shrub like viburnam Mariesii, or a grove of small trees. I hesitate to mention bamboo because of the running roots. Maybe you could build a lean to greenhouse against the wall. All that concrete would be a great heat sink.

 

Shame that ivy is invasive where you are . . . it would otherwise be the ideal plant for the situation!

Over here, it's a welcome and highly valued native ;-)

 

Everything in its place, I suppose.... Lantana (Spanish Flag), which would also work very well in that situation, is also an invasive in BC, although it's a welcome and highly valued native here. :)

 

You should be looking for a vine that climbs via holdfasts - like ivy - wisteria looks for places where it can twine. Climbing hydrangea would be good in your area, not invasive and it flowers - may even be evergreen there. Regards from a former West Coaster.

 

My experience with firethorn was horrific - pruning it was a painful chore. Perhaps where it was seen in France there were tough old gardeners working at a decent wage.

 

Probably a pruning fanatic. More than I would take on. I lean toward an attractive trellis/or garden pavilion or a group of shrubs or trees to bring the eye down away from the wall.

Don't know how much room there is or what kind of light available.

 

Schizophragma, similar to climbing hydrangea, is another good choice. If you put some trelliswork out from the wall, the twining plants would appreciate it. Then you could grow roses and clematises and honeysuckle and...