Fast growing, attractive, climbing fruit plant?

[Andehh]

Can anyone recommend anything that meets these criteria? We have a new metal frame in a very sunny part of the garden that needs filling.

Many thanks

[sherman]

Blackcurrant plant

[Beati Dogu]

A grape vine perhaps. They grow quickly once they get going.

[Simpo Two]

Beati Dogu said:

A grape vine perhaps. They grow quickly once they get going.

Yes but need decent pruning every year, and don't expect bunches of grapes like you see in the supermarket.

I can't think of anything that fits all the criteria, so what's the most important of the four?

[bobtail4x4]

how about a cultivated blackberry? apart from the pretty aspect...........

[CharlesdeGaulle]

Some of the berry hybrids (I have loganberries) are fast growing and productive. I guess that they're not massively attractive and they are ramblers rather than climbers, but you do get lots of greenery and lots of fruit.

[Mr GrimNasty]

There are self-fertile kiwi plants, either with standard sized-fruits(e.g. Jenny) or mini(e.g. Issai), they are vigorous climbers.

Obviously blackberries can be trained up, and Japanese WineBerry has long arching stems.

[bill swizz]

Kiwi vine, best to get two, a male and a female plant and then you should get fruit, the self fertile ones tend not to produce much.
Or a passion fruit vine, if where you are does not get too cold in the winter they should survive and produce flowers and fruit all summer long.

[moorx]

bill swizz said:

Or a passion fruit vine, if where you are does not get too cold in the winter they should survive and produce flowers and fruit all summer long.

^ This. They are beautiful (IMO).

[Hammerhead]

moorx said:

bill swizz said:

Or a passion fruit vine, if where you are does not get too cold in the winter they should survive and produce flowers and fruit all summer long.

^ This. They are beautiful (IMO).

I bought one of these recently as a very small plant. It's growing at a very fast rate indeed! Looking forward to seeing it flower

[Mr GrimNasty]

bill swizz said:

Kiwi vine, best to get two, a male and a female plant and then you should get fruit, the self fertile ones tend not to produce much.
Or a passion fruit vine, if where you are does not get too cold in the winter they should survive and produce flowers and fruit all summer long.

The self fertile Kiwis varieties are brilliant, they set fine.

Passionfruit is a reasonable call, but none of them will survive a hard winter outdoors, some varieties are really greenhouse only, and you'll be lucky to get any edible ripe fruit outdoors in an average year.

[bill swizz]

Mr GrimNasty said:

The self fertile Kiwis varieties are brilliant, they set fine.

Passionfruit is a reasonable call, but none of them will survive a hard winter outdoors, some varieties are really greenhouse only, and you'll be lucky to get any edible ripe fruit outdoors in an average year.

Perhaps you should let us know which self fertile you had as my Issai is useless, but the two separate sex ones produce loads.

Passion fruits will survive in somewhere like London where the temps are on average warmer. I had one that survived years there. I now live in Switzerland and the winters are much colder here and we have a passion fruit that has survived 4 winters now, but does have to be wrapped up if the temp gets below about -2 for any length of time, basically we keep it wrapped all winter as the temps are regularly down to -10. Both London and here I get edible fruit every year.

[Beati Dogu]

Simpo Two said:

Beati Dogu said:

A grape vine perhaps. They grow quickly once they get going.

Yes but need decent pruning every year, and don't expect bunches of grapes like you see in the supermarket.

I can't think of anything that fits all the criteria, so what's the most important of the four?

I know, I have one in my back garden against a side fence. You certainly have to chop them back 2-3 times a year, but that's easy to do and there's no thorns of course. They're an attractive plant and although I do get grapes, I see that as a bonus really.

Another alternative are hops, which are also attractive and grow fast.

[moorx]

Mr GrimNasty said:

The self fertile Kiwis varieties are brilliant, they set fine.

Passionfruit is a reasonable call, but none of them will survive a hard winter outdoors, some varieties are really greenhouse only, and you'll be lucky to get any edible ripe fruit outdoors in an average year.

I'm surprised. There was a huge one on a wall at a hospital where I worked for several years and there is another in a pub garden I visit occasionally. Can't comment on the fruit part, but I like them for the flowers/climbing aspect.

[Pheo]

If you don't need the fruit passiflora is indeed a great options. They grow very fast. To my knowledge you won't get supermarket grade fruit in the UK but you will get edible fruit - nothing to write home about though. The flowers however are amazing. I'm after a riverside hybrid for my garden - Betty Myles Young. Currently have a regular one and it has got a touch of some virus which they are susceptible too.

I guess it would be good to know does it need to be hardy, does it need to be evergreen?

The other option is to espalier a fruit tree - for example a fig, pear or Apple. Not so fast growing unless you get spendy and buy something big though.

[dbdb]

The Passion flower is a vigorous and beautiful climber, but I have found it not to be frost hardy in the North West of England. As said, it may well be able to survive a hard winter in London, which is considerably warmer than it is here in Cheshire in the winter.

[Andehh]

Thanks very much guys, appreciate all the suggestions! I wasn't expecting so many.

Hammerhead said:

moorx said:

bill swizz said:

Or a passion fruit vine, if where you are does not get too cold in the winter they should survive and produce flowers and fruit all summer long.

^ This. They are beautiful (IMO).

I bought one of these recently as a very small plant. It's growing at a very fast rate indeed! Looking forward to seeing it flower

Ill look into this first, seems to tick a lot of the boxes!