What is a Trellis?

Function

• A trellis is a wood or metal lattice or frame used to support climbing plants or vines. New plant stems or vines are manually trained through the openwork lattice; as they continue to grow, they will twine themselves upward through the grid on their own.

Freestanding Trellis

• There are two basic types of trellises: free-standing and supported. Often a free-standing trellis forms an arch at a gateway into a garden, supporting roses or other flowering plants. An arbor is a type of trellis, taking the form of an open porch with no roof, just uprights and cross-beams supporting vines, ivy, wisteria, clematis, roses or other perennial plants that grow both up and sideways.

Frame Trellis

• A flat, framework trellis can be square, fan-shaped, rectangular or any of a variety of decorative shapes, but is usually fastened to the wall of a house or outbuilding, with plants trained up through the grid.

Advantages

• You can place a trellis wherever you think your plant will look best or will grow the best: in sun or shade, in rich or well-drained soil, or out of the way of doors and windows. A trellis can add visual interest to your garden as well as dress up a dull walkway or garden gate.

Disadvantages

• Some plants may not flourish on a metal trellis, which can get very hot in direct sunlight. Find out if your plants are heat-tolerant before training them up a metal trellis. A wooden type may work better, and for certain garden plants, like sweet peas or beans, string is both inexpensive and unlikely to damage young plants.