Like To Climb? How To Choose The Best Climbing Plants For Your Garden

Incorporating climbing vines in a garden is a challenge for new gardeners. Copying English gardens, using roses and clematis can only go so far. For those willing to experiment, there are beautiful vines, which can be trained to climb around doors and trees as well as to hang from pots. Here are some popular choices for you to consider:

1) Kiwi Vine or Actinidia kolomikta

While without a strong scent, this vine has a heart shaped leaf. With new vegetation a purple hue, maturing to a variegated leaf with a touch of pink. Small flowers adorn the plants. The female plants produce grape-like berries, while the male plants are said to have more variegation. 12 - 30' (Zones 4 - 8)

2) Chocolate Vine other wise known as Akebia quinata or Five Leaf Akebia

A fast growing plant, the Chocolate Vine has an oblong leaf, usually grouped in bunches of 5. With flowers that hang like pendants on the vine, this plant is available in either white or a brownish-purple. With a Spicy scent, this plant is sure to add a touch of flavor to your garden. 30-40' (Zones 5 - 8)

3) Climbing Snapdragon or Asarina

Looking quite similar in flower to the well-known snapdragon, this versatile vine can be an indoor or outdoor vine with flowers in red, pink, lavender and blue with white chins. A great flowering-twining vine this plant can be cut back once the flowers drop off. This vine would be fantastic spilling over walls or out of a planter. 6 - 8' (Hardy Annual)

4) Trumpet Vine or Campsis radicans

With the possibility of growing to 40', this native American plant is a fantastic choice! It can thrive in both the hot summers and cold winters, this plant would be fantastic for a northern gardener. Because of the woody vine this plant needs a sturdy support. While still looking beautiful in the winter this plant does need to be maintained to keep the flowering at its peak. Being a perennial vine this makes it a great addition to your garden, with flowers in orange red and yellow. Don't be disheartened if you do not see flowers right away, it can take a few years for the flowers to grow. However, they are well worth it, this plant is loved by both hummingbirds and butterflies. (Zones 5 - 9)

5) Cathedral Bells, Cup and Saucer Vine or Cobaea scandens

Start this plant early by placing the seeds on their sides, making them less disposed to rot. The flowers may take time to bloom, so it is very important to get them in t he ground early. Lavender or blue trumpets with a green collar of green will sweetly scent your garden. The vine can reach up to 20'. (Annual)

6) Climbing Hydrangea or Hydrangea petiolaris

Although a slow starter, this vine makes a beautiful white lacy flower that is unbeatable in June. Needing a strong support, this plant attaches with aerial roots. Dry the flower heads on the vine for a bit of winter interest. Totally worth the time investment!!! 10 - 80' (Zones 4 - 7, to 9 with afternoon shade)

7) Morning Glory or Ipomoea tricolor

A vine from everyone's youth that is easy to grow, this vine although an annual, will self-seed readily. It can and will grow and twine around anything in its path. With flowers that close in the afternoon heat, this delicate vine is a great enhancement to any garden. These are available in a variety of colors. 10 -12' (Annual)

8) Passionflower, Maypop or Passiflora incarnata

One of 400 varieties of passionflower, this plant is generally considered a tropical plant; this species hales from the southeast U.S. and can actually survive some freezing temperatures. With purple and white exotic flowers this plant adds a touch of the tropical to any garden. Large serrated leaves, a woody vine and tendrils that help the plant cling to the structure complete the exotic touch to the garden. Bring the vine indoors for the winter to bring the plant back for the next year.15'- 20' (Zones 7+)

9) Black-Eyed Susan Vine or Thunbergia alata

This short annual vine does well in containers kept off the ground. With flowers that mimic black-eyed Susans, the one and a half inch flowers often having a dark center. While the containers are a wonderful way to display the vine, planting will really help the vine take off.

6' (Annual)

10) Canary Creeper, Bird Vine, or Tropaeolum peregrinum

With blooms starting in July and going through October, this vine adds a great late addition to your garden. A member of the naturtium family the yellow flowers really do look similar to feathery birds, and at only one inch, these flowers will be a nice contrast with the divided palm shaped leaves. A quick grower, this vine is not much of a climber but would look terrific falling over a short wall or growing through flowerbeds.8 - 12' (Zones 9 - 10).