Growth dynamics and coverage area models for four climbers: based on time and morphological traits

Plant growth dynamics are a fundamental topic in botany and are important for understanding the climbing and coverage strategies of climbers. In practice, climber cover area is a key indicator of vertical greening performance. However, quantitative analyses linking coverage dynamics to growth time and morphological traits remain limited. A 150-day growth experiment was conducted using four climbers, Ficus pumila , Lonicera japonica , Parthenocissus dalzielii , and Pyrostegia venusta . Growth dynamics were quantified based on stem growth, branching, climbing traits, stem–leaf distribution, and coverage area. A coverage area–time prediction model was developed to predict landscape establishment time, and a coverage area–morphological trait estimation model was established to quantify coverage performance. Stem growth and branching number of four climbers increased significantly over time ( P < 0.05), exhibiting pronounced allometric growth and species-specific coverage formation strategies. Among species, P. dalzielii consistently achieved the largest coverage area ( P < 0.05); L. japonica showed a significantly positive allometric exponent between cover area and main-stem length, strong elongation growth, and leaves concentrated in the upper canopy. F. pumila showed a significantly negative exponent but developed the densest stem–leaf structure, whereas Py. venusta grew relatively slowly. Linear cover area–time models best fitted F. pumila and P. dalzielii , while power models best fitted L. japonica and Py. venusta . Cover area–morphological trait models explained substantially more variation, with the four-variable power model performing best for all four species. Among the morphological variables, lateral branch length and basal diameter were identified as the principal determinants of coverage area, followed by lateral branch number and internode length. The four climbers exhibited distinct allometric growth and species-specific coverage strategies. P. dalzielii is suitable for rapid wall greening, L. japonica for pergolas and trellises, F. pumila for dense coverage, whereas Py. venusta requires longer establishment period. Stem–leaf trait-based models outperformed time-based models in predicting coverage area and characterizing coverage formation. Our findings not only establish a scientific foundation for quantitatively evaluating the landscape performance of vertical greening, but also offers new insights into the spatial coverage expansion strategies of climbers.