Plants add atmosphere, shade and coolness under a veranda. These green mood makers also make a positive contribution to the air quality. That effect is even greater if you close the veranda with glass sliding doors and weather strips. And how nice is the smell of fresh plants? Plenty of reasons for some nice plants for your pergola. But what plants are suited best for this? And what should you consider when it comes to climate and maintaining the canopy plants? We will help you get started in this article.

Plants in a pergola

The climate under the veranda

Climate is a very important factor in selecting the best plants for your pergola. The climate under your veranda depends on the season, location, amount of shade and shelter from wind and precipitation. Before buying plants, carefully decide how much sunlight your veranda receives during the day. For shady areas, choose shade-loving plants, and for sunny areas under the veranda, choose plants that like direct sunlight.

Which plants under a pergola?

We list some plants that do well under a veranda:

  1. Climbers (e.g. jasmine, wisteria, honeysuckle): grow a fast-growing climber for your pergola along the sidewalls of the veranda, creating a nice, green partition. 
  2. Ornamental grasses (e.g. ornamental sedge, sandburs, silvergrass): add a nice texture to the space.
  3. Ferns (e.g. royal fern): shade-loving plants that thrive under a canopy where there is little direct sunlight.
  4. Hostas: plants with variegated leaves that grow well in shady or semi-shady areas.
  5. Shrubs (e.g. hydrangea, rhododendron, azaleas): shade-loving shrubs with very colourful flowers.
  6. Herbs and edible plants (e.g. basil, mint, thyme, oregano): create a herb garden under the veranda.
  7. Succulents (e.g. cactus, aloe vera, crassula): for these plants, it is important that your veranda gets enough light.  
  8. Olive trees: olive trees thrive under the veranda, where they get enough light and are sheltered.
Olive tree under a veranda

Pergola plants: shade & shelter

So some plants like shade and should be protected from the effects of weather and wind. But how do you make sure the pergola plants get enough shade and shelter? We list a few options:

  • Climbers: There are several types of climbing plants for pergola that can provide natural shade.
  • Large plants: place large pots with large pergola plants for extra shade.
  • Shrubs: if there is enough space, you could plant large shrubs near the veranda.
  • Sun shading: sun shading provides more shade and a pleasant temperature on hot days. With the automatic sun shading from Tuinmaximaal, you create shade in the spots you want, as it can be operated by individual lane.
  • Sliding doors: close all or part of the veranda using sliding glass doors, possibly in combination with weather strips. That way, the plants can also survive the winter well. Opt for glass sliding doors with an insulating effect or Gumax® Shading Panels that, in addition to providing shelter, provide shade in the desired areas.

So there is plenty of choice when it comes to pergola plants and there are several options for creating extra shade and shelter. This way, you can enjoy your veranda even more all year round!

Want more information? See the page about the verandas.