Did you water at all, Jody? In full sun like that, any plant will have to have water. Perhaps crossvine would serve your purpose ..... I love mine.

sweet potato vine?
morning glory?

Crossvine can take it, as can confederate jasmine, desert willow vine and trumpet vine (beware of it's invasive tendencies ~ I'd only plant it somewhere you can mow twenty or so feet around it).

If you really liked the passion flower vine, try it again. This summer's horrible drought and heat was hell on most newly planted things. Many things that would have survived during a more normal year didn't. So I'd bet you'd have better luck with it next year.

Native passionflowers invade my pasture and grow without any water on anything they can climb on, in not so great soil. Perhaps you didn't have them well established in time for the heat. I'd try again earlier in the spring.

In my experience morning glories, even bindweed, need a fair amount of water. Trumpet vine will grow anywhere, which is why you see it everywhere. But they all need to be well established with water first.

My purple hyacinth vines did very well in full sun in New Braunfels. We did water well, also.

I would try the passion flower vine again. You know what they say about perennials - first year sleep, second year creep, third year creep. The first year I had mine, it was all sad and barely there, and I was so irritated with it. Last year it did pretty well, drought tolerant and happy, though still not taking off the way I wanted. This year? OMG! It's completely covered my mailbox and I'm having to trim it back! Covered in blossoms every day, the bees and butterflies love it, it has lots of caterpillars on it but they can't eat it fast enough for me to even notice! They're wonderful once you get them established.

The other vines suggested above are good too. But really, there's nothing for full on sun and drought like an established passion flower. I would plant one now, so that next spring it can come back big and happy.

Trumpet vine - lots growing in my 'hood under full sun, not watered, doing great.

I have two fabulous passion vines that look stunning and I almost never watered (maybe 1x/month at most - one is kind of a weed that I've learned to love), but it's in partial shade. The shade isn't a lot - it's from the 30ft+ crepe myrtles above it, but provides enough filtering of sun. The vine doesn't seem to spread beyond that somewhat shaded area. I guess it might if I actually watered it....

Another vote for passion vine. A native passion vine in a field nearby grows out over a huge, unshaded limestone rock and continued to grow and bloom through the recent drought and heat with no care. I have just planted a rooted cutting in the hottest part of my yard.

Hi Jody,
Mexican Flame Vine. You'll never go to anything else.

If you can't find any, I'll send you some for postage. I've got some in quart containers. Email me directly.

patty

Thanks for all the great suggestions! Much appreciated!

I will definitely try the passion vine again, but in a different spot. And yes, of course I watered it - every single day, since it would completely wilt by the end of each day. I gave my dad one for Father's Day and his gets a lot of sun, but not 100% for the entire day, and it has gone gangbusters. I feel pretty sure if I give it just a little shade, it will do better.

Patty, will the Mexican flame vine be hardy in zone 8???

What's your soil like, Jody? Sandy, loam, clay, etc.? Free draining or not? How long and with what (handheld hose, sprinkler, etc.) did you water?

I ask because: Even with the drought we had, watering every single day for more than a few minutes is way too much for most soils (during the drought, two deep waterings per week was plenty for my established Blue Crown passionflower and my newly planted Maypop, both in full blasting evening sun). I'm wondering if that's what killed it instead of the heat and sun. Wilting doesn't always mean not enough water ~ heat will make things wilt, as will too much water.