In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote:

I had a look at weather records for Shrewsbury, and the minimum
temperatures don't look too bad. Despite Nick's forebodings (and I can
fully understand them if you happen to live in subarctic Cambridge!), I
would be happy to give Trachelospermum a go. Note, though, that in a
cold winter its leaves tend to turn a deep burgundy-red. In a very cold
winter its leaves will be dried out and burnt, particularly if in a cold
wind.

Right. There are lots of 'evergreen' climbers that survive with me,
including Holbellia, Stauntonia, Lonicera henryi and (in sheltered
places) Bignonia capreolata and Clematis armandii, but their leaves
all get damaged or drop off in even half-serious winters (like the
last one). Trachelospermum probably would probably be one of the
ones that needs a bit of shelter. Lonicera japonica isn't a good
evergreen, because it gets terribly unkempt and needs pruning back
to bare wood, but is very hardy.

That's really the story for most of the UK, except the warmer parts.
Lots of nominally evergreen plants will survive in a semi-deciduous
fashion, so you don't lose everything even if they drop their leaves.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.