These Beautiful Flowering Vines Will Elevate Any Garden Trellis or Wall
What if we told you that a gorgeous garden doesn't require a gargantuan greenspace? Yes, you heard that right: thanks to flowering vines, you can add an unexpected layer of beauty and color to your garden regardless of its size by utilizing vertical space! Think bougainvilleas, wisteria, climbing roses, and so much more! Many of the best wall-climbing vines are perennial, which means they'll return in full glory year after year. Plus, they attract tons of pollinators, like hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, turning your garden into an outdoor oasis teeming with wildlife! These lengthy flowering fines are also a great way to add privacy by guiding them up a trellis, fence, pergola, or any other structure as they grow.
When choosing perennial vines, make sure they will survive winters in your USDA Hardiness zone. (Find yours here!) Also be sure to read the plant tag or description about what kind of light your flowering vines need, so they'll bloom well. Full sun means six or more hours of direct sunlight per day, while partial sun is about half that. Make sure to keep your flowering vines watered as they’re getting established the first year, especially during dry spells. Plants in containers will dry out faster than those planted in ground, so check planters daily during the heat of summer. A little all-purpose fertilizer will help keep your plants happy and blooming.
Read on for our favorite flowering vines that will beautify any garden!
Grow your dream garden with these ideas:
Blue Sky Vine
Ever wish you could replicate the beauty of a blue sky? Plant this flowering vine inspired by clear, purplish-blue skies, and you can! The golden center even looks like the shining sun in a blue sky. This fast-growing vine is a perennial in mild climates but, when grown as an annual, can grow up to eight feet in one season.
Purple Bell Vine
Add a purple punch to your trellis or fence with this vibrant, bell-shaped flowering vine! Easy to grow and maintain, this vine flourishes in sunny spots, like a porch, patio, or deck, with well-drained soil, rewarding gardeners with a profusion of blooms from late spring to early fall.
Cypress Vine
Add the beauty of a star-filled sky by night to your garden by day with this whimsical flowering vine featuring pink and red star-shaped blooms! This fast-growing annual is a great attractor of hummingbirds when it blooms from summer to fall.
Cross Vine
If you're looking to add a burst of orangey-red to your garden, you'll want to cross off "cross vine" from your to-grow list! During late spring and summer, this woody vine will envelop the structure it grows on with its deep green leaves and contrasting red, orange, and yellow blooms. Its colorful flowers also attract hummingbirds, and once it ceases blooming, it can be pruned by cutting back its vines by half or more to maintain its size within bounds.
Canary Creeper
If your bird feeder isn't doing the trick in bringing the fluttering creatures around, grow this vine in your yard to add a bird-shaped burst of color to your garden! The bright yellow flowers on this vine resemble the wings of a canary in flight for a whimsical addition to any trellis, fence, or pergola. Thriving in sunny locations with well-drained soil, the canary creeper is a low-maintenance vine that brings its vivid blooms to your garden from spring to summer.
Black-Eyed Susan Vine
This popular annual is a fast-grower and can completely take over a container—so make sure it’s large and heavy, or this plant has a tendency to get top-heavy and topple over. The smiley-face flowers come in cream, pink, orangey-yellow, or apricot.
Clematis
Hundreds of varieties of clematis are available with different bloom times throughout the growing season. The flowers of this perennial come in every form and color, and some types are fragrant. They like to have their roots shaded, so plant this with a low-growing perennial at its base to keep the roots cooler.
Morning Glory
These super-fast climbers come in so many different colors and grow easily from seed. Soak the seeds overnight and rub a metal nail file over it to help it germinate faster. These annuals also produce tons of seeds inside the dried flower heads, so pick them off if you don’t want them to self-sow next year.
Honeysuckle
Hummingbirds adore this perennial vine with its white or red flowers. But look for Lonicera periclymenum, and don’t plant Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), which is considered invasive and will overrun your garden.
Scarlet Runner Bean
These annuals grow easily from seed and have the most incredible intricate red flowers that hummingbirds adore. They’re actually a prolific heirloom edible bean, so pick the beans to encourage more flowers (and beans!) to grow.
Mandevilla
This lovely tropical vine has white, red, or pink blossoms set against glossy foliage. It blooms all summer long non-stop. But in hot climates, give it a little afternoon shade. Read the plant tag before buying because some types are more bushy, not vining. In warm climates, it is considered a perennial but is treated as an annual in the rest of the country.
Climbing Hydrangea
This is one of the few flowering vines that needs shade. Once mature, it has creamy white flowers all summer long. But its vines are heavy, so you’ll need a sturdy trellis or structure against a building for support. It’s also extremely slow-growing, so don’t get annoyed if it doesn’t look like much the first few years.
Passionflower
Unusual flowers make this eye-catching vine a fun addition to your garden. Keep it in a container and bring indoors as a houseplant in cold climates.
Trumpet Vine
The trumpet-shaped flowers bloom all season, and hummingbirds love to visit! It is a fast grower and should be kept in a pot to contain its spread. Or look for newer hybrids (Campsis x. tagliabuana) which are not considered invasive like the native type (Campsis radicans).
Star Jasmine
The tiny pinwheel-shaped flowers of this vine are sweetly scented. It looks amazing on a fence or cascading out of planters. It’s perennial in warm parts of the country.
Bougainvillea
The papery electric pink bracts, or flowers, are eye-catching on a pergola or arbor. It’s an evergreen perennial in warm climates, but it’s typically grown as an annual in containers in cold regions.
Corkscrew Vine
This fast-growing tropical vine has adorable nautilus-shell shaped blooms of pink and pale yellow. It grows well from seed and loves the heat, really taking off when summer is in full swing. Its sweet fragrance is reminiscent of hyacinths.
Sweet Pea
This charming annual loves cool weather, so plant the seeds very early in the spring while the ground is cool. They tend to fade when temperatures rise into the 70s, but their delightful scent is worth their brief show.
Climbing Rose
Of course, this isn’t really a vine, but a climbing rose belongs in every sunny garden! Give it a sturdy support and gently guide the long canes the direction you want them to grow.
Nasturtium
Nasturtium are charming annuals that tumble along the ground or climb with a little guidance from you. Look for the trailing varieties, not the mounding types which are more bush-like, and be sure to soak the seeds overnight to help them germinate more quickly.
Wisteria
Wisteria has stunning grape-like clusters of flowers that appear in mid-spring. They’re fast, aggressive growers, and some varieties require pruning to keep in check.
Carolina Jasmine
Bright yellow flowers bloom in early spring on this hardy, fast-growing vine. Hummingbirds and butterflies love it, and deer tend to stay away.
Chocolate Vine
Purple flowers in late spring make this an interesting vine with unique edible seed pods in the fall. However, it can be aggressive, so grow in a container to control its spread.
Hyacinth Bean
This annual vine has pretty white, pink or purple flowers that don’t mind the heat! Give it a sturdy support because it’s a fast-grower.
Firecracker Vine
This heat-loving vine attracts hummingbirds all summer. It’s considered an annual in much of the country, but it’s perennial in warm climates.
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