Climbing plants for dry sandy soil
Sandy soils allow rainwater to quickly filter through the ground, leaching out any nutrients in the process. This makes them dry and low in nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. It is theoretically possible to support any plants on dry sandy soils with an extensive watering and feeding regime but much easier and more environmentally friendly to grow plants that are naturally suited to these conditions. The best climbing plants for dry sandy soils are akebia, clematis, ivy, climbing hydrangea, climbing jasmine, kiwi vine, honeysuckle, virginia creeper, passion flower and wisteria. These drought tolerant climbing plants are perfect for adding vertical ascent in gardens on sandy soils that are prone to drying out, spots in full sun with no shade throughout the day, or simply gardens in the south of England that are generally hotter and drier. Climbing plants are particularly valuable in smaller gardens where they can deliver masses of beautiful flowers and foliage, given their inclination to grow vertically on a small lateral footprint. Please see our article on understanding your soil for some simple tests you can do on samples of your garden soil to better understand its composition. The better you understand your soil type, the more equipped you’ll be to choose plants that will thrive in it.