Gardening Plants & Flowers Groundcovers & Vines

20 Best Perennial Flowering Vines and Climbers

passionflower vine on a fence

The Spruce / Letícia Almeida

One of the hardest skills for a gardener to master is incorporating climbing vines into a landscape. Annual vines, such as cardinal climber and morning glory, are easy enough. They last only for a single season, so you can discontinue planting them if they don't work the way you want. Deciding where to place perennial vines is an important consideration and often a daunting one for both new and experienced gardeners alike. Perennial vines are in your garden for years and will get larger and fuller over time. Even so, some truly stunning perennial vines can be trained over doorways, trellises, up trees, or even left to dangle from hanging pots.

Here are 20 of the best perennial flowering vines and climbers for your garden.

Tip

Vines that climb do so via different methods. Twining vines climb a trellis, fence, or other structure by branches that grow in a circling fashion, twisting themselves around the structure. A modified form of twining is the use of tendrils—small shoots that anchor themselves to a supporting structure as permanent branches become established. Other vines use aerial roots or suckering disks that attach themselves to a supporting structure. These vines can damage wood, stucco, and brick mortar are best avoided unless you are willing to put in the effort to control their growth.

  • 01 of 20

    Clematis (Clematis spp.)

    clematis vine

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    The Clematis genus includes roughly 300 species of woody-stemmed, profusely blooming plants. Most are climbing flowering vines, but there are also short and bushy types. It is the climbers that are most popular with gardeners, including dramatic hybrids 'Jackmanii 'and 'Nelly Moser', the dainty 'Betty Corning', or the robust sweet autumn clematis. You might need to help your clematis by wiring it to a trellis as it begins to climb. But once it takes hold the twining plant will weave through the structure on its own. While there are evergreen clematis varieties like C. armandii, most are deciduous and leaf loss should be taken into consideration during placement.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 11 (varies by species)
    • Color Varieties: White, pink, purple, red, bicolor
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained
  • 02 of 20

    Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris)

    Climbing hydrangea bush with extending vines with white flower clusters

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

    Climbing hydrangea can grow as tall as 60 to 80 feet if it has a wall, fence, or large tree for its aerial rootlets to cling to. Unlike other aerial-rooting plants, climbing hydrangea grows slowly enough that controlling it is not very difficult. This is a good plant for shady locations, and it will tolerate full sun only if the soil is kept very moist. The flowers bear a resemblance to those of shrub hydrangeas, and the dried flower heads and peeling bark give the plant good winter interest.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Color Varieties: White
    • Sun Exposure: Partial shade to full shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained
  • 03 of 20

    Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata)

    Chocolate vine with brownish-purple blossoms on thin branches with oblong leaves closeup

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Chocolate vine is an April bloomer that produces spicy scented, brownish-purple blossoms that hang like pendants. Even after the flowers fade, the semi-evergreen foliage of the vine remains attractive with lush, oblong leaves usually grouped in leaflets of five. These flowering vines quickly grow to 30 to 50 feet, clinging to a support structure by twining. Investigate before planting it because its fast growth rate has categorized it as an invasive plant in some areas.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Brown/purple, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to full shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, sandy or loamy
  • 04 of 20

    Hardy Kiwi Vine (Actinidia arguta or Actinidia kolomikta)

    kiwi vine

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    A cold-hardy relative of the plant that produces supermarket kiwis, hardy kiwi vine is grown for its distinctive foliage. There are two species that are called hardy kiwi vine: Actinidia kolomikta has variegated foliage while Actinidia arguta is a less vigorous grower. The flowers of kiwi vine are small, but they produce a fragrance similar to lily of the valley. The plants have a twining growth habit and need a sturdy support structure for vertical growth.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Green foliage; purple and pink highlights on Actinidia kolomikta
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Medium moisture, well-drained, loamy
    Continue to 5 of 20 below
  • 05 of 20

    Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

    passionflower vine

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Purple passionflower or Maypop is a semi-woody vine with large serrated leaves. It clings to supports with tendrils. These vines are prized for their complex and exotic-looking flowers, and many cultivars are available in a variety of colors. The vines grow to around 15 to 20 feet long, and they can be kept in pots to overwinter the plants indoors in cooler climates.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
    • Color Varieties: White, pink, red
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist, well-drained
  • 06 of 20

    Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

    trumpet vine

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Trumpet vine is a native Southeastern U.S. plant, with its summer flowers much loved by hummingbirds and butterflies. But it can easily become an aggressive grower, and in some areas, it is considered invasive. It climbs via aerial rootlets. Because trumpet vines can get quite woody and can grow to as much as 40 feet long, their weight requires strong support. They also require pruning to keep them flowering at their best and to control their spread.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Color Varieties: Orange, red, yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained
  • 07 of 20

    Climbing Roses (Rosa spp.)

    Climbing rose vines on wooden trellis with large white-pink roses

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Climbing roses are actually just large rose shrubs with long canes (stems) that are trained to grow up a trellis or other support structure. Varieties include 'New Dawn', 'Don Juan', and 'Lady Banks'. Once you have the support structure in place, the training process is quite simple. Tie the canes to the structure with strips of cloth as they grow, gently bending them to cover the structure. Try not to prune the plant until the canes have grown long enough to cover your structure unless you need to remove a misshapen, broken, or diseased portion.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 10 (varies by species)
    • Color Varieties: Pink, red, white, yellow, orange, purple
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained
  • 08 of 20

    Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

    Star jasmine vines climbing on white brick wall with small white pin-wheeled flowers

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

    Star jasmine is a twining flowering vine that produces fragrant blooms in the late spring to early summer. Its long, oval, dark green leaves make the vine an excellent ground cover, but it also can grow up trellises and other structures. In cooler climates, it can be grown in a container and overwintered indoors, though some gardeners simply prefer to grow it as an annual and start with a fresh plant the next season.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 10
    • Color Varieties: White
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, medium moisture, well-drained
    Continue to 9 of 20 below
  • 09 of 20

    Mandevilla (Mandevilla spp.)

    Mandevilla vine with light and deep pink flowers with yellow centers and buds closeup

    The Spruce / Pheobe Cheong

    Also known as rocktrumpet, Mandevilla is a genus of tropical and subtropical flowering vines. They produce five-petaled flowers that are often large and fragrant alongside glossy green foliage. These fast-growing vines need lots of moisture to stay healthy, along with a sturdy support structure. They also grow well in hanging baskets.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11
    • Color Varieties: Pink, red, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  • 10 of 20

    Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)

    Bougainvillea vine with magenta flower bracts climbing exterior of house

    The Spruce / Leticia Almeida

    Bougainvillea is a genus of woody tropical vines with brightly colored clusters of flowers. The vines can grow up to 40 feet long and can be trained to grow in a shrub form as well as around support structures. But be careful when working with them, as these vines do contain thorns. In cooler climates, they should be overwintered indoors.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
    • Color Varieties: Pink, purple, red, white, orange, yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained
  • 11 of 20

    Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

    Moonflower with white trumpet-shaped bloom surrounded by dark green and heart-shaped leaves

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Moonflower is a perennial flowering vine whose blooms open up at night, exuding their sweet fragrance into the air. Then, as the light of morning arrives, the flowers close up again for the day. These fast-growing vines reach around 10 to 15 feet long and can easily spread as a ground cover or grow on a support structure. They can be difficult to overwinter indoors, so if you live outside their growing zones you might want to treat them as an annual and start with a fresh plant each year. The seeds are easy to collect and start indoors for the new season.  

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 12
    • Color Varieties: White, purple
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  • 12 of 20

    Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)

    Cape honeysuckle with orange trumpet-shaped blooms climbing wooden fence

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Cape honeysuckle can be trained both as a vine and a shrub, depending on your garden preferences. But it will grow more robustly as a vine to around 30 feet long. Its bright, tubular flowers produce a sweet nectar that’s known to attract hummingbirds. As a vine, pruning maintenance is fairly straightforward. Simply clip away any damaged, dead, or diseased portions, along with stems that are difficult to train on your support structure.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
    • Color Varieties: Orange, red
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Average, well-drained
    Continue to 13 of 20 below
  • 13 of 20

    Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

    Japanese honeysuckle vine with yellow and white bi-petaled flowers between leaves

    The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Japanese honeysuckle is a robust flowering vine with a long blooming period and fragrant flowers. In some areas it is considered invasive due to its vigorous growth, so be sure to check locally whether you can plant it. The vine twines easily around support structures. Prune after the plant is done flowering to keep its size in check.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Color Varieties: White, yellow
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, moist, well-drained
  • 14 of 20

    Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)

    Black-eyed susan vine with vivid orange flowers with dark centers surrounded by leaves closeup

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Black-eyed Susan vine sports flowers that look similar to the popular black-eyed Susans. But instead, the plant is a climbing vine. It stays fairly small in size at less than 10 feet long. This makes the vine ideal for hanging baskets and other containers. If you live outside of the plant’s growing zones, you can overwinter it in containers indoors.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11
    • Color Varieties: Yellow, orange, red, pink, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained
  • 15 of 20

    Cup and Saucer Vine (Cobaea scandens)

    Cup and Saucer Vine

    tirc83 / Getty Images

    Cup and saucer vine is a vigorous climbing vine that can quickly form a living privacy screen on a support structure with its lush bright green foliage. The vine’s cup-shaped flowers develop a sweet fragrance as they open. If you attach this vine to a support structure when it’s young, it won’t need much more help than that to continue to wind itself around the structure. 

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
    • Color Varieties: Purple, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  • 16 of 20

    Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

    Bleeding heart vine with red and pink flowers and buds closeup

    The Spruce / Gyscha Rendy

    Bleeding heart vine is an evergreen twining vine with showy white flowers that have red accents. The vine can grow up to 15 feet long and can easily climb around a support structure. Keeping the soil consistently moist but not soggy is key for growing these vines. They also are heavy feeders and need regular fertilizer throughout the growing season. 

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 12
    • Color Varieties: White with red
    • Sun Exposure: Partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
    Continue to 17 of 20 below
  • 17 of 20

    Snail Vine (Cochliasanthus caracalla)

    Snail vine

    Sebastiao Pereira-Nunes / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

    Snail vine is a perennial flowering vine that grows in climates without frost. Its petite blooms are said to resemble the curled shell of a snail. These vines grow to around 15 to 20 feet long. Regular light pruning to get rid of dead or scraggly portions will help to keep the vines healthy and robust. 

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
    • Color Varieties: Pink, purple, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained
  • 18 of 20

    Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)

    Sweet potato vine with light green heart-shaped leaves clustered together

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood 

    Sweet potato vine comes from the same family as edible sweet potatoes, but it is grown for its ornamental value. It features long tendrils that spill over the sides of containers, wind around support structures or creep across the ground. Frequent light pruning will help to keep the vine looking tidy and healthy.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
    • Color Varieties: Medium green foliage
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  • 19 of 20

    Corkscrew Vine (Vigna caracalla)

    Corkscrew vine

    AegeanBlue / Getty Images

    Corkscrew vine is a fast-growing, twining, perennial flowering vine with fragrant blooms. It gets its common name because its showy flowers grow in a spiral around the vine like a corkscrew. The vine will need a sturdy support structure, as it can grow up to 30 feet long. Prune the vine after it’s done flowering to keep it looking neat.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 12
    • Color Varieties: White, purple
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
  • 20 of 20

    Snapdragon Vine (Maurandya scandens)

    Snapdragon vine with purple and white trumpet-shaped flowers and bright green arrowhead-shaped leaves closeup

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Snapdragon vines aren’t related to the typical garden snapdragons, though their flowers resemble one another. The trumpet-shaped blooms appear during the summer and are a favorite of hummingbirds. These vines stay relatively small, so they won’t take over a garden. They can grow as ground cover, in hanging baskets, and up supports. If you’re using a support structure choose one that’s thin, as the slender flowering vines can have trouble winding around thick posts.

    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 10
    • Color Varieties: Pink, blue, purple, white
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, loamy, well-drained
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Akebia quinata. Global Invasive Species Database

  2. Campus radicans. North Carolina State University Extension