Perennial vines are the perfect solution in so many different situations. You can use them to hide a problem, such as an eyesore that cannot be gotten rid of quickly. You can also use them to take a ho-hum fence to a new level of excitement. They are super at adding height to a flower garden.
Since many are incredibly fragrant, they can even be used to mask odors.
There are many perennial vines to consider, below we cover 16 excellent choices.
Trumpet Vine
These vines will put on beautiful trumpet-like flowers from mid-summer through early fall. This versatile plant will grow in almost any soil. While it prefers the sun, it will thrive in partial shade. Prune it in the spring and fall, or this vigorous grower may get out of hand quickly. This vine that grows from zone 4 to 9 will reach heights between 30-and-40 feet when allowed.
Dutchman’s pipe
This woody vine that grows in zones 4 to 8 blooms with a flower that looks like a pipe in May and June. This plant needs support, and it does not like to dry out, so be sure to water it regularly. The leaves on this plant that can be grown in full sun or partial shade are heart-shaped, and they can be up to 12 inches across.
American Bittersweet Vine (Celastrus scandens)
This vine that can grow up to 20 feet tall is appropriate for zones 3 to 8. Greenish-white to yellow flowers appear in late spring. Then, spherical orange-yellow fruit appears, and when it ripens, the fruit splits open to reveal red berries. Therefore, this deciduous twining perennial is continuously changing and adding visual interest to your landscaping.
Hardy Passion Flower
This tropical-looking plant, also known as the Mayflower, grows well in zones 6 to 9. In colder climates, it dies back to the ground in the fall. This member of the passionflower family can grow six feet in one growing season. Mid-summer to early fall, it puts on wide opening, bowl-shaped flowers with a yellow-green center and narrow, blue petals. White and purple rings surround the center of each flower.
Clematis
Clematis takes on many different forms. It can grow up to 20-feet tall, but many varieties stay much shorter, and some clematises can even be grown in a pot. You can find clematises that will thrive in zones 4 t0 9. This sun-loving plant loves moist, well-drained soil, and it needs to be supported. While most bloom in the summer and early fall, others bloom in the spring. While most have five-to-seven petals on a flower that has about a 6-inch diameter, you can also find clematises that have different flower shapes, including those with smaller blossoms, double blossoms, and bell-like flowers.
Climbing Hydrangea
Using their suckers, climbing hydrangea can climb almost any surface, and they can reach up to 50-feet tall. They produce clusters of lace-like flowers in the early summer that can be up to 5-inches across. The flowers are white to begin with, but as they dry out, they turn a reddish-brown. This plant that thrives from zone 4 to 7 likes acidic soil and partial shade.
Honeysuckle Vine
There are over 180 varieties of honeysuckle vines, and you can find one or more that will thrive in any zone. While they can be grown as a ground cover, most do best with some support to grow upright. Most put on bright pink, orange, yellow or white flowers in the spring. These vines are sun lovers, and they love moist soil if it drains well.
Sweet Pea (Lathyrus latifolius)
Growing up to 8 feet in a growing season, sweet peas have a pleasant floral aroma. This sun-loving plant is available in many different colors. You can find species that will grow from zone 2 to 11. Plant this vine that grows in the fall, and you will have beautiful flowers in the spring on a plant that grows to be about 7-feet tall.
Wisteria
This purple-flowering plant is hardy in zones 3 to 9, and it can grow up to 30 feet tall if it has the proper support. You can also find pink, white, and blue choices available. This plant puts on flowers in clusters that can contain hundreds of small ones, and the entire cluster can be up to 6-inches long.
Bougainvillea vine
Sun-loving bougainvillea vines can brighten up a dark corner with their purple, red, orange, white, pink, or yellow bracts that appear in spring. These plants that are drought tolerant once they are established do well in zones 9 to 11. The three-pronged bracts cover up the real flower that is so small it often goes unnoticed. They can get out of hand quickly, so prune them to be a shrub, on a trellis or over an arbor in the fall.
Winter Jasmine
Not a true vine, but this plant will scramble over almost any surface. Its bright yellow, five-petal flowers that can be up to 1 inch in diameter are a welcome sign that spring is starting to arrive. This plant that grows in zones 6 to 9 can get leggy if you do not prune off its side shoots every few years.
Tri-Color Kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta)
This quick-growing vine that can reach up to 20-feet tall grows well in zones 3 to 5, and it will grow down to zone 9 with proper care. When both male and female plants are present, this plant will produce grape-size kiwi fruit. With strong support, you can even train this vine to be a small tree. This plant cannot handle full sun conditions. You will love the green foliage that becomes variegated with pink and white as it matures.
English Ivy – Hedera helix
Often planted in containers, English ivies thrive from zones 3 to 9. This evergreen plant can use its aerial rootlets to grow up to 50-feet tall. In the fall, this plant will put on tiny greenish-yellow or greenish-white flowers, but it is mainly grown for its bright green, glossy leaves. Give it filtered sunlight or plant it in the shade to watch this plant thrive.
Virginia Creeper
You need to keep this beautiful plant under control as it will spread quickly, but you will love its beautiful fall colors. It is hardy from zone 3 to zone 9, and it does not care where it is planted. While generally hidden by this plant’s abundant foliage, it puts on small, greenish-white flowers in the late spring and early summer. Then, in the fall, its leaves change to oranges and browns, putting on clusters of bluish-black fruit.
Boston Ivy – Parthenocissus tricuspidata
Boston ivy plants will attach to almost any surface. Each spring, this plant produces red leaves that turn green in the summer before becoming red again in the fall. This plant that is hardy from zones 4 to 8 produces greenish-white flowers mid-summer. This plant that would prefer some shade needs to be planted at least 15 feet from any structure you do not want it to climb.
Hops – Humulus lupulus
This fragrant vine grows well in zones 4 to 8. It will die to the ground in the winter before coming back in the spring. Male plants put on yellow-green flowers in spring while female plants put on cone-like structures that mature in early fall. The densely packed leaves on this plant make it very useful for covering up eyesores.
