Structure Type | Suitable Vines | Vine Characteristics |
---|---|---|
Large & Sturdy - Arbor - Pergola - Large, heavy-duty trellis anchored to a wall or fence. - Fence | Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia) Chocolate Vine (Akebia) Porcelain Vine (Ampelopsis) Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia) Bittersweet (Celastrus) Hops (Humulus) Silver Lace Vine (Polygonum aubertii) Grape Vine (Vitis) Wisteria | These are large vines that climb 20’ or more by twining or by grasping with tendrils. Most become heavy and woody with age, so the structures they climb must be substantial and capable of bearing significant weight. |
Moderate Size - Trellis - Obelisk - Lattice - Chain-Link - Light-Duty/ Ornamental Arbor | Clematis (most varieties) Honeysuckle Vine (Lonicera) | These vines are prized for their showy flowers and manageable size (most only reach 6-12’). They climb either by twining or by clasping. The spokes or slats of their climbing structures should be less than 2” in diameter so the vines can hang on securely. |
Textured - Rough-hewn wood (e.g., telephone pole) - Brick - Tree trunk | Trumpet Vine (Campsis) Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala) Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata) Japanese Hydrangea Vine (Schizophragma) | These vines climb by gripping textured surfaces with tiny rootlets that form on the backs of their stems. Established vines may damage those surfaces if torn away. Once mature, clinging vines tend to be heavy, woody, and far-reaching (upwards of 50’ if you let them!). |
None Perhaps neighboring plants? | Bush Clematis Examples: Clematis heracleifolia ‘New Love’ Clematis integrifolia Clematis recta ‘Alionushka’ ‘Petit Faucon’ ‘Roguchi’ ‘Sapphire Indigo’ ‘Stand by Me’ | Bush Clematis have no means of climbing; their leaf stems do not clasp as those of most Clematis do. Instead, the plants either sprawl across the ground or scramble though nearby plants. Some form graceful mounds, while others serve as small-scale groundcover. If you insist on an upright mode of growth for these, you will need to train them through a plant cage or tie them to a small trellis. |
Breadcrumb
Choosing a Perennial Vine
