Flowering Vines and other Vining Plants to Grow in your Garden

There are literally hundreds of different plants that are classified as 'vining plants'. This diverse group includes annuals and perennials; climbers, crawlers and creepers; evergreen and deciduous plants...
Vines can be used as ground covers; to climb over and disguise unsightly objects in the garden; to enhance fences, arbors and trellises; or as a screen to block the view of obnoxious neighbors...

Most flowering vines need full sun to thrive but there are a few of them that will tolerate partial shade. In deep shade you may have to settle for a non flowering vine such as one of the many types of Ivy (Hedera).

The best reason of all for growing vines is, however, simply to enjoy their beauty!

Planting and Training Vines

If you plan on growing your vining plant on a trellis or an arbor, it is important to put this support structure in place before planting, to avoid damaging the roots and stem of your vine. Set your plant in about 6-12 in. away from the support to allow enough growing room for developing stems.

The vines should be tied loosley to the support using strong, stretchy materials that won't cut into growing branches. (Strips of old nylon hosiery work very well for this.) Loop each tie into a figure 8, with the crossed portion between the stem and the support to keep stems from rubbing or being choked.

Common Name:

Algerian Ivy

Botanical Name: Hedera canariensis

Height:

USDA Zones: 4-7

Requirements & Benefits:

Algerian Ivy's glossy 4-8" foliage and the vines ability to crawl, creep and climb just about anywhere makes this a great ground cover or privacy screen

Common Name:

Black Eyed Susan Vine

Botanical Name: Thunbergia alata

Height: 6-20 ft.

USDA Zones: 9-12

Requirements & Benefits:

The Black-Eyed Susan Vine is an evergreen, twining vine, most often grown as a long blooming annual. Black-Eyed Susan Vines have dark green, arrowhead-shaped, 3" leaves. They produce a profusion of brightly colored, 1½" bell-shaped flowers from early summer, well into the fall.

Common Name:

Butterfly Pea

Botanical Name: Clitoria ternata

Height:

USDA Zones: 10-11

Requirements & Benefits:

Butterfly Pea is a fast growing climber is a fairly common tender perennial species that produces two inch flowers in mid to late Summer. A quick cover for lattice, a trellis, arbors and chain-link fences

Common Name:

Carolina Jasmine

Botanical Name: Gelsemium sempervirens

Height:

USDA Zones: 7-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Semi-evergreen, yellow trumpet blooms in spring, quickly climbs to great heights where it forms masses of foliage and bloom

Common Name:

Clematis 'Snowdrift'

Botanical Name: Clematis armandii

Height:

USDA Zones: 6-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Abundant, fragrant 2-3 inch flowers in March through April. Attractive, evergreen covering for fences and arbors. Clematis like their heads in the sun and their roots in the shade.

Common Name:

Clematis 'Anna Karolina'

Botanical Name: Clematis Anna Karolina

Height:

USDA Zones: 4-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Clematis 'Anna Karolina' produces loads of 5-6" white flowers in late Spring and again in late Summer on short six to nine foot vines. Prune back to 3-4 ft. in late winter. Clematis like their heads in the sun and their roots in the shade

Common Name:

Climbing Fig

Botanical Name: Ficus pumila

Height:

USDA Zones: 8-11

Requirements & Benefits:

Climbing Figs are frost tender, fast growing evergreen vines. The foliage lays flat so it is useful for covering walls and flat surfaces. Easy propagation by layering or softwood cuttings

Common Name:

Coral Vine

Botanical Name: Antigonon leptopus

Height:

USDA Zones: 8-11

Requirements & Benefits:

Coral Vine is a vigorous growing, evergreen climber with dark green arrow shaped leaves. It produces clusters of vivid pink flowers in late Summer. This vine can grow up to 30 ft. in a season

Common Name:

Cypress Vine

Botanical Name: Ipomoea quamoclit

Height:

USDA Zones:

Requirements & Benefits:

Cypress vine is a fast growing member of the Morning Glory family with attractive, feather-like foliage and pretty, 1½ star shaped tube flowers in late summer. Can be easily grown from soaked or nicked seeds

Common Name:

Dutchman's Pipe

Botanical Name: Aristolochia littoralis

Height:

USDA Zones: 8-10

Requirements & Benefits:

Dutchman's Pipe is a tender evergreen with very unusual and unique 'calico' flowers. It prefers to grow in partial shade

Common Name:

Evergreen Smilax

Botanical Name: Smilax lanceolata

Height:

USDA Zones: 6-8

Requirements & Benefits:

Smilax is a vigorous growing, durable evergreen vine with thick, dark green, lance shaped leaves. It spreads by underground tubers so it may become invasive. Produces clusters of trumpet shaped flowers in April and May and berries for the birds in the fall

Common Name:

Fatshedera

Botanical Name: Fatshedera lizei

Height:

USDA Zones: 8-11

Requirements & Benefits:

Fatshedera is a hardy evergreen, non climbing vine that is the result of the cross between Fatsia japonica and Hedera helix. Fatshedera tends to grow upwards a few feet before falling and creeping across the ground

Common Name:

Flame vine

Botanical Name: Pyrostegia venusta

Height:

USDA Zones: 9-11

Requirements & Benefits:

Flame Vines are fast growing, branching, evergreen vines that produce massive clusters of bright orange tubular flowers in late winter and early spring. Excellent fence cover

Common Name:

Golden Trumpet Vine

Botanical Name: Allamanda cathartica

Height:

USDA Zones: 9-11

Requirements & Benefits:

The Golden Trumpet Vine is a prolific blooming, frost tender perennial. It can be potted up and grown as a house plant. All parts of Allamanda cathartica are extremely toxic

Common Name:

Goldflame Honeysuckle

Botanical Name: Lonicera heckrottii

Height:

USDA Zones: 5-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Honeysuckle vines are easy to grow, vigorous, heat-tolerant, and nearly indestructible. The flashy and fragrant flowers will attract hummingbirds and butterflies all summer long.

Common Name:

Honeysuckle

Botanical Name: Lonicera

Height:

USDA Zones: 4-10

Requirements & Benefits:

Honeysuckle are easy to grow, vigorous, heat-tolerant, and nearly indestructible. The flashy, fragrant flowers will attract hummingbirds and butterflies all summer long. The resulting fruit will provide a fall treat for your local songbirds as well.

Common Name:

Hyacinth Bean

Botanical Name: Dolichos lablab

Height:

USDA Zones: 8-10

Requirements & Benefits:

The Hyacinth Bean is a fast growing tender perennial that is usually grown as an annual. This twining vine has purplish green foliage, pinkish lavender blooms in summer and fall and purple seed pods in the fall

Common Name:

English Ivy

Botanical Name: Hedera helix

Height:

USDA Zones: 4-7

Requirements & Benefits:

Fast growing, hardy evergreen vine for shade or partial sun, good for screening, ground cover, erosion control

Common Name:

Ivy Geranium

Botanical Name: Pelargonium peltatum

Height:

USDA Zones: 9-11

Requirements & Benefits:

The Ivy Leaved Geranium is a frost tender, climbing and trailing, semi succulent perennial that produces clusters of orchid-like flowers at the vine tips all summer. Good in hanging baskets. They can be propagated by softwood cuttings or grown from seed

Common Name:

Jackman Clematis

Botanical Name: Clematis jackmanii

Height:

USDA Zones: 6-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Abundant, small lavender-pink flowers 6 hours of full sun per day to grow best although some light shading during the hottest part of the day, pruned annually in late winter or very early spring. Clematis like their heads in the sun and their roots in the shade

Common Name:

Kenilworth Ivy

Botanical Name: Cymbalaria muralis

Height:

USDA Zones: 3-8

Requirements & Benefits:

Kenilworth Ivy is a trailing, creeping vine with small, light green Geranium-like foliage and tiny blue, orchid-like flowers from early summer until first frost. A nice ground cover

Common Name:

Lotus Vine

Botanical Name: Lotus maculatus

Height:

USDA Zones: 9-11

Requirements & Benefits:

The Lotus Vine is a semi hardy hanging or ground crawling vine that is most often grown as an annual plant. The foliage consists of fine, 1-2", silvery blue needle like leaves. Produces lots of bright, 'parrot beak' shaped flowers in late spring and early summer. Excellent for hanging baskets or to cascade down a rockery

Common Name:

Mme. Galen's Trumpet Creeper

Botanical Name: Campsis x tagliabuana

Height:

USDA Zones: 6-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Mme. Galen's Trumpet Creeper is a cross between Campsis radicans and Campsis grandiflora with large dark green serrated leaves and bright reddish orange flowers. t thrives in poor soil and in partial shade

Common Name:

Morning Glory

Botanical Name: Ipomoea species

Height: 10-20 ft.

USDA Zones: 9-12

Requirements & Benefits:

Morning Glories are very fast growing vines that are capable of growing 10 feet or more within the first two months. They readily reseed themselves for the next year. Morning Glory vines may become invasive

Common Name:

Nasturtium

Botanical Name: Tropaeolum majus

Height:

USDA Zones:

Requirements & Benefits:

Once established, Nasturtiums take little or no care. As they spread and grow, their foliage resembles a sea of tiny lily pad leaves topped with brightly colored, edible blossoms. Can be easily grown from seed

Common Name:

Passion Flower

Botanical Name: Passiflora incarnata

Height:

USDA Zones: 5-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Passion flowers are generally considered to be hardy in USDA zones 5-9 but they should be planted in a protected location and mulched heavily if severe cold threatens. This vine produces dramatic 3 inch diameter flowers in late summer

Common Name:

Pothos Plant

Botanical Name: Epipremnum aureum

Height:

USDA Zones: 10-12

Requirements & Benefits:

Golden Pothos are one most popular of all house plants. They are attractive, durable and easy to grow vines that have smooth, leathery, heart shaped leaves with distinctive marbling. Pothos vines are among the top ten air purifying plants for indoor use.

Common Name:

Purple Passion Plant

Botanical Name: Gynura aurantiaca

Height:

USDA Zones: 10-12

Requirements & Benefits:

The Purple Passion Plant is a trailing, tender perennial which originated in Indonesia. It's primary use is in hanging baskets as a houseplant. The vines may grow to 8 feet long but will tend to lose their bright purple coloring if they reach this length. Easily propagated by softwood cuttings

Common Name:

Star Jasmine

Botanical Name: Trachelospermum jasminoides

Height:

USDA Zones: 7-10

Requirements & Benefits:

Star Jasmine aka: Confederate Jasmine is a twining, evergreen vine that produces clusters fragrant white star-shaped blooms in early summer. Can be grown as a creeping ground cover

Common Name:

Trumpet Creeper

Botanical Name: Campsis radicans

Height: 30 ft.

USDA Zones: 4-10

Requirements & Benefits:

Trumpet Creeper is a deciduous, clinging vine which grows to great heights. It produces large orange-red trumpet shaped blooms throughout the summer. A hummingbird favorite

Common Name:

Trumpet Honeysuckle

Botanical Name: Lonicera sempervirens

Height:

USDA Zones: 4-10

Requirements & Benefits:

Coral Honeysuckle is a fast growing, high climbing, semi-evergreen vine. It produces clusters of intensely colored, trumpet shaped flowers all summer then red berries in the fall

Common Name:

Virgin's Bower

Botanical Name: Clematis paniculata

Height:

USDA Zones: 6-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Very hardy semi-evergreen climber, will quickly grow to 30 feet, small clusters of fragrant white blooms in late summer and again in the fall. Clematis like their heads in the sun and their roots in the shade

Common Name:

Wire vine

Botanical Name: Muehlenbeckia complexa

Height:

USDA Zones: 6-9

Requirements & Benefits:

The Wire Vine is a twining evergreen vine that is able to climb a support or can be left to ramble across the ground. It has small, round, dark green leaves and produces tiny cream colored flowers in the spring

Common Name:

Wisteria

Botanical Name: Wisteria frutescens

Height:

USDA Zones: 5-9

Requirements & Benefits:

Wisteria is a hardy deciduous vine that produces massive clusters of fragrant lavender or white blooms in late spring. Wisteria can be pruned to form large shrub or small tree