Hi, buttoni. I've been through the same search for Texas-adapted vines, and our climate makes it hard to find a large selection, but I'll share what I've discovered along the way.

If you want Morning Glories, beware of the huge number of unwanted seedlings that pop up EVERYWHERE. If you are planting on a hard surface and/or don't have any planting beds nearby, you're probably safe!

Alternatives that you might want to consider with your limited afternoon sun include: Star Jasmine (evergreen and fragrant in the Spring), Coral Honeysuckle (evergreen), Cross Vine (semi-evergreen). I've had surprisingly good luck with several varieties of Clematis and especially recommend c.texensis hybrid "Princess Diana" for your purposes - it dies to the ground in winter, but returns in very early spring with stems that literally grow about six inches a day.

I'm sure others will have many more great recommendations for you - good luck!

Anne - Driftwood, TX 8b

Thank you for your suggestions, Anne. I love Cross Vine, but I think i t may be too aggressive for this area right by my rooftop. Star Jasmine, which I had in my last yard, is controllable, but can really bush out fairly deep and there is a door nearby this short wall and trellis. Clematis and me don't mix. I've tried and tried to grow them and they all die off on me. But I'll go take a look at the Diana strain on Google. I do like the Coral Honeysuckle idea. Thanks so much for your thoughts.

This is my second season with Coral Honeysuckle. Planted just after Mothers Day last year in morning sun then complete shade (bright, next to the driveway) after noon or so in summer. It's putting on lots of growth for the past two weeks with only 3-4 hours of sun right now. Foliage was sparse over winter, but it's climbed to the top of a similar sized trellis. I'd take a pic except hubby has a big pile of lumber right in front of it. He needs to build that third rainwater retention tank stand and get that out. I'm off to nag :-)

Ok, don't judge my bad picture :-)

Hmmm. I was just reading about Coral Honeysuckle and it said parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested (I assume the berries). I didn't know that. I'd be afraid my wee rat terrier might eat the ones that drop down on the paved area around the trellis. She's already eating my Japanese Ligustrum blue berries (also poisonous) and occasionally gets sick off those. :( I may have to rule the honeysuckle out. I had thought about orange trumpet vine, but fear it too is too invasive for this position near my roof and gutters.

Thanks for sharing the photo, PK. Looks like it's ready to cut loose this year. Hope it fills out and blooms nicely for you. :)

Someone on my British garden forum suggested Mandevilla, but those like to be wintered over indoors when it drops below 50º, so that's a no-go I think. My trellis is metal and quite heavy, so I'm not moving it inside. :) Too bad, as Mandevilla would be real pretty on it. Saw some lovely Mandevilla this week at Lowe's.

What a nice suggestion and vote of confidence for this plant. Watched a little video on it https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&p=clitora+ternatea#action=view&id=4&vid=07993b2f33fb42f97519a1a765e04311 and it will make my short list for sure. Very pretty in deed. Good to hear the vines aren't as vigorous as other woody and aggressive vines, too. Thanks Jardinera

Sweet potato vine! it will take the sun or shade and cheap to replace. You can plant some colorful annuals in the pot with it. Mine is just getting started after our freeze this winter.

Yes, the sweet potato vine is a good choice. I have the chartreuse one and use it as a ground cover. It has performed beautifully in a dry shade area under an oak tee. Mine have formed large tubers and return reliably for me.

Molly

That is an excellent idea, Gustavia and Jardinera. I've had good luck with it, too. I have to confess though, I didn't know people used it as ground cover. And it sure is cheap!

Add a lattice and call it done. The lattice can be there year-round. The vining plants will be great in spring and summer, even parts of fall. But then you'll have the remaining dead vines or branches for a few months of the winter. Depending on the vine, you may also then need to maintain it, including be aware of its effect on your roof and gutters, as you mentioned.

This was taken in 2015. You can see that the potato vine is doing great under that thirsty oak.

Molly

I makes a LOVELY ground cover, Jardinera. Thanks for sharing the photo. I may use that as ground cover in another bed out in my front yard. Like it better than the classic ivy everyone plants for this purpose. :)

What about Carolina Jasmine? Of all my vines, that one seems like it would be the best fit; not too big, not too bossy. It's evergreen and has pretty yellow flowers and is available everywhere.

Carolina Jasmine would be pretty there, but probably not enough sunlight. They love sun. And it turns out circumstances will not allow one there after all. With the rectangular pot I have to set the plants in, we tested and discovered we can't get our generator on wheels out the garage door (to our sump pump for our basement) with the planter there. It's so big and heavy, it has to be wheeled out STRAIGHT and won't maneuver around the planter box without great difficulty. So I'm going to go with PurslaneGarden's suggestion to just place a painted white trellis there to hide the electric box and pipes and call it good. I've moved the metal trellis and planter over to another area beside my Little Garden where it will get sun for half the day. Sun isn't around the house yet today, but is will be in full sun in another hour. My patio furniture sits just off to the right of the big blue pot of blue Plumbago. Shoots are just beginning to peek out on that one. That's Don Juan rose on the pagoda support. Love the smell of them.....this is my third one planted by the previous owner and is just now beginning to bloom after 2 years here.

Buttoni, Carolina Jessamine (commonly miscalled Jasmine) is a wonderful vine, but probably more toxic to dogs than the others mentioned. Just bringing this up because you previously raised it as a concern.

I didn't know Carolina Jasmine was toxic to dogs. Good thing my mini rat terrier doesn't mess with leaves, flowers and vines, as I'm starting two of them for my back gate arbor. My dog just seems to gravitate to berries. LOL

There are just so many plants that our animals and toddlers shouldn't eat.

If your goal is to cover the electric box i would suggest a trellis that is a lot more dense to cover the area and use the above plant suggestions to highlight the trellis. You may have to build the trellis to fit that particulat space though.

You could try an "upside down" approach. Attach a rectangular plastic planter to the top of the trellis and plant something that will trail down, such as arrowhead ivy. I have Australian Violet cascading down, but you could do annual vines such as black eye susan vine, etc. You could also hang a large, colorful, garden flag at the top of the trellis and do the planter about midway.

Molly

What a clever idea. That sure would eliminate the issue of moving the generator outside and having to navigate around the planter box. THANKS, Molly! wonder if the planter would get too heavy. I'd have to anchor the trellis securely to the post adjacent to the left side, but I think that would work! I'd have never thought of that myself. :)

It is said that necessity is the mother of invention and a garden has many needs, lol. I would suggest an inexpensive plastic planter box. A metal holder can be purcased inexpensively. This is an old planter box, but it is barely visible when my arrowhead ivy fills out. I have not washed my porch walls, so I apologize for the mess