Plants that will hang in there

By James Kilkelly

'WHAT have you got for wind?” is a question that always makes me feel more like a doctor or a chemist than a horticulturalist. I’m often tempted to say, “Two teaspoons of gripe water”, but I never do. So when I finish smirking I instead rhyme through the list of trees and shrubs that I have found will survive growing in windy locations.
Occasionally though it’s not a tree or shrub to brave such elements that the client is seeking. There are times when it is actually a climber that is required. That’s when things get a bit complicated.
You see, climbers climb, and when you climb you gain height. The higher you go the more exposed to the wind you will be, so you can see where this is going.
The first thing to factor in is leaf size; basically the larger the leaf grows the more wind it will catch, and so be prone to being stripped from the plant. Large leaved climbers to avoid in such a situation include Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). Both of which are grown for their autumn leaf colour, of which you will see little of if the wind has the leaves stripped by late summer.
Similarly, climbers with large “wind-catching” blooms should be avoided, as they will invariably disappoint with their short length of flowering. Because of this I would be slow to suggest many of the famed flowering Clematis. “Jackmanii”, Montana, “Doctor Ruppel” and “Nelly Moser” are clematis that may survive the winds, but is it worth growing them if their flowering is cut short?

Evergreen or not?
THE next issue to consider is whether the climber is evergreen or deciduous. If the question were quickly fired at you then many folk would on impulse opt for an evergreen climber, possibly reasoning that it would add interest to the winter garden. However, year-round leaves are the very last things you would want on a climber in a windy location. 
A bitter drying wind causes leaf desiccation or windburn, especially on the groups of plants that retain their leaves right throughout the winter. The drying ability of these winds causes plants to draw upon large quantities of water to replace the moisture that is lost through the plant’s wind-dried leaves. If, as commonly happens, the climber’s supply of moisture from its roots can’t keep up with the moisture being lost through its leaves then you end up with horribly crinkled, burned, and dead looking foliage.
It is also worth realising how weighty an evergreen climber can become once it is wet with rain and acting like a sail to the wind on a stormy night. I feel sorry for the poor trellis or arbour that has to support it. With that wind-catching and desiccation in mind I would be slow to recommend any of the evergreen ivies, for example Persian ivy (Hedera colchica) and the Canary Island ivy (Hedera canariensis).
So what does that leave us with? Will those of us with windy sites be forced to plant one of those fake plastic ivies that you often see trailing out of fancy pots in hotel foyers and office receptions up and down the country? The answer is no, as there is still one major group of climbers left.
My suggestion would be to look to the honeysuckles. They exhibit none of the unwanted traits, instead they possess moderately sized leaves, impressive, yet sturdy flowers, and if the correct species is selected then it will be leafless come the harsh winds of winter.
There are many types of honeysuckle to make your selection from. You could go with the fabulously fragrant Belgian honeysuckle, the handsome Japanese honeysuckle, or the pink and yellow flowers of the Italian honeysuckle (Lonicera x italica). However your best bet is to keep it Irish and go with a native.
The native Irish woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum) is the honeysuckle I would suggest. Tough and hardy, with scented creamy-yellow flowers and follow-on scarlet berries, this honeysuckle can be seen growing wild in some of our harshest conditions, including coastal rock-faces. If every other climber has failed in your windswept location then maybe the June to September flowers and August to October berries of the Irish woodbine can be of service to you.
Until next week, happy gardening and remember that a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.