Hello, I have a wild cherry tree that gets partial sun and I would like to have a climber grow up it. I would like to find something that I could get at a local nursery and not have to special order. Any ideas? Thanks!
Clematis armandii should be readily available and climbs well. It's leaves are evergreen and flowers highly fragrant. We have several growing on our property and would vouch for it. Another vigorous climber is Clematis tangutica. I love it's lemon flowers. It has a long flowering season. It's seed heads are highly decorative. It can get a bit out of control thought, if you don't keep it in check.
Try to find the largest/longest vine of choice, and secure or wind it as far up the wild cherry as possible...this will assist to establish the vine in its' infancy and possibly ensure promsing results from a partially shaded environment....the more sun the better...good luck!
Best to make sure your climber is not more vigorous than your tree as that will in the long run hurt the cherry. Best a vine that will happy in shade so is less apt to want to compete with the trees light, native clematis, climbing Hydrangea (H. anomala), or Japanese climbing hydrangea (Schizophragma hydrangeoides). The last two are slow growers but will thrive in shade, and I think ought to be available.
