Flowers and Plants
Gardening Guides
Evoke the Mid-Atlantic’s Indigenous Landscape With These 7 Vines
Use these natives to fill gaps, create a shady cover or add a vertical element
Vines fill a niche in the plant world by sending out long branches or runners to find gaps and openings left by surrounding plants. They don’t put a lot of energy into building rigid stems that hold themselves up. Rather, they grab hold of anything nearby — other plants, rocks or structures — to bring their leaves closer to sunlight. They have developed several techniques for holding onto supports. These include tendrils, some with sticky disks; aerial rootlets; and twining growth habits. If there is nothing to grow on, many vines will just sprawl over the ground as a ground cover.
The following seven common vines are indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic region. Including any of these in your landscape can provide a link to the natural character of the region. Each vine has its own quirks in how it grows and spreads. They are listed roughly in order of their aggressiveness, from least to most.
Not in the Mid-Atlantic? Browse plants native to more regions of the U.S.
The following seven common vines are indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic region. Including any of these in your landscape can provide a link to the natural character of the region. Each vine has its own quirks in how it grows and spreads. They are listed roughly in order of their aggressiveness, from least to most.
Not in the Mid-Atlantic? Browse plants native to more regions of the U.S.
2. Groundnut
(Apios americana)
Native from eastern Canada and Maine south to Florida and west to Texas and South Dakota
Groundnut can be recognized as a thin vine with pinnate leaves consisting of five to seven narrow leaflets. It blooms in mid-to-late summer with tight clusters of mauve pea-like flowers.
Use groundnut where you need a lightweight vine to climb a trellis or fence. Without a support it acts as a ground cover, where it can be used to cover the “naked legs” of some shrubs and taller perennials. It can be used at the base of a tree as a climbing vine, as it’s shade-tolerant and well-adapted to growing among the roots of other plants. Since it dies back each year, there is no concern that it will harm the host tree. In fact, because it fixes nitrogen, it may actually be a beneficial partner.
Groundnut was an important food source for Native Americans and adopted by the English colonists. Although its seedpods are edible, the most nutritious parts are its tubers, which have three times the protein of potatoes. Groundnut was used as a landscaping plant in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it eventually dropped out of style. You aren’t likely to find it in a retail nursery, but its tubers are available from retailers specializing in permaculture or forest gardening.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 10)
Water requirement: Tolerates moist to average soil moisture
Light requirement: Grows best in partial to full sun
Mature size: Resprouts each spring and climbs 4 to 8 feet in a season
(Apios americana)
Native from eastern Canada and Maine south to Florida and west to Texas and South Dakota
Groundnut can be recognized as a thin vine with pinnate leaves consisting of five to seven narrow leaflets. It blooms in mid-to-late summer with tight clusters of mauve pea-like flowers.
Use groundnut where you need a lightweight vine to climb a trellis or fence. Without a support it acts as a ground cover, where it can be used to cover the “naked legs” of some shrubs and taller perennials. It can be used at the base of a tree as a climbing vine, as it’s shade-tolerant and well-adapted to growing among the roots of other plants. Since it dies back each year, there is no concern that it will harm the host tree. In fact, because it fixes nitrogen, it may actually be a beneficial partner.
Groundnut was an important food source for Native Americans and adopted by the English colonists. Although its seedpods are edible, the most nutritious parts are its tubers, which have three times the protein of potatoes. Groundnut was used as a landscaping plant in the 18th and 19th centuries, but it eventually dropped out of style. You aren’t likely to find it in a retail nursery, but its tubers are available from retailers specializing in permaculture or forest gardening.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 10)
Water requirement: Tolerates moist to average soil moisture
Light requirement: Grows best in partial to full sun
Mature size: Resprouts each spring and climbs 4 to 8 feet in a season
3. Pipevine
(Aristolochia macrophylla)
Native to the Appalachian Mountains from New York to Tennessee, but can be found growing wild in scattered pockets from Maine to Alabama
Pipevine, also called Dutchman’s pipe, is a woody vine that is most easily noticed by its thick cover of large heart-shaped leaves. This vine can provide a dense screen of foliage to a porch or arbor from mid-May to October. Since the vine can get heavy, the supporting structure needs to be fairly strong. It is tolerant of calcareous soils (to pH 8.5).
Although its foliage is its most compelling feature, it has very interesting pipe-shaped, mahogany-colored flowers that appear in mid-June. These are usually hidden under the leaves but are worth searching for.
This species is the host plant for caterpillars of the pipevine swallowtail butterfly.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8)
Water requirement: Prefers average moisture and loamy soils
Light requirement: Grows best in full to partial sun (however, I had one growing successfully in the dry shade of a Norway maple)
Mature size: Slow growing at first; can reach 30 feet tall when mature
(Aristolochia macrophylla)
Native to the Appalachian Mountains from New York to Tennessee, but can be found growing wild in scattered pockets from Maine to Alabama
Pipevine, also called Dutchman’s pipe, is a woody vine that is most easily noticed by its thick cover of large heart-shaped leaves. This vine can provide a dense screen of foliage to a porch or arbor from mid-May to October. Since the vine can get heavy, the supporting structure needs to be fairly strong. It is tolerant of calcareous soils (to pH 8.5).
Although its foliage is its most compelling feature, it has very interesting pipe-shaped, mahogany-colored flowers that appear in mid-June. These are usually hidden under the leaves but are worth searching for.
This species is the host plant for caterpillars of the pipevine swallowtail butterfly.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 8)
Water requirement: Prefers average moisture and loamy soils
Light requirement: Grows best in full to partial sun (however, I had one growing successfully in the dry shade of a Norway maple)
Mature size: Slow growing at first; can reach 30 feet tall when mature
4. Devil’s Darning Needles
(Clematis virginiana)
Native to eastern North America from North Dakota south to Texas and eastward from Maine to Florida; in Canada, native from Saskatchewan eastward to the Maritime Provinces
Devil’s darning needles, also called virgin’s bower, is a thin twining vine that grows up and over other plants and structures by wrapping its leaf petioles around any narrow support it can find. This vine can’t climb on smooth surfaces but will scale fences and other structures with any parts that the leaves can wrap around.
The leaves are trifoliate and light green. Toothed edges distinguish the vine from the exotic autumn clematis (C. terniflora), which has smooth leaf edges.
Devil’s darning needles blooms in late summer with clusters of sweet-smelling, 1-inch-wide white flowers. These are followed by fluffy seed heads that remain showy for several weeks. Plants will spread from these wind-borne seeds. This species is dioecious, meaning that there are separate male and female plants. You can prevent reseeding if you have only a single gender of this plant, but then you won’t get the benefit of the attractive seed heads.
Caution: All parts of this plant are poisonous.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Can handle a range of soil conditions, moist to dry, and sandy soils as well as clay
Light requirement: Tolerates a wide range of light conditions but blooms best in partial to full sun
Mature size: Grows quickly to 15 to 25 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide
See how to grow devil’s darning needles
(Clematis virginiana)
Native to eastern North America from North Dakota south to Texas and eastward from Maine to Florida; in Canada, native from Saskatchewan eastward to the Maritime Provinces
Devil’s darning needles, also called virgin’s bower, is a thin twining vine that grows up and over other plants and structures by wrapping its leaf petioles around any narrow support it can find. This vine can’t climb on smooth surfaces but will scale fences and other structures with any parts that the leaves can wrap around.
The leaves are trifoliate and light green. Toothed edges distinguish the vine from the exotic autumn clematis (C. terniflora), which has smooth leaf edges.
Devil’s darning needles blooms in late summer with clusters of sweet-smelling, 1-inch-wide white flowers. These are followed by fluffy seed heads that remain showy for several weeks. Plants will spread from these wind-borne seeds. This species is dioecious, meaning that there are separate male and female plants. You can prevent reseeding if you have only a single gender of this plant, but then you won’t get the benefit of the attractive seed heads.
Caution: All parts of this plant are poisonous.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 35 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 37.2 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Can handle a range of soil conditions, moist to dry, and sandy soils as well as clay
Light requirement: Tolerates a wide range of light conditions but blooms best in partial to full sun
Mature size: Grows quickly to 15 to 25 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide
See how to grow devil’s darning needles
5. Purple Passionflower
(Passiflora incarnata)
Native from southern New Jersey to Florida and westward to Kansas and Texas
Purple passionflower’s fragrant blooms look like something from a science-fiction movie and appear throughout the summer. Edible fruits, called maypops, begin to form in late July and are ripe when they turn yellow in autumn. The leaves are glossy green and about 6 inches long with three pointy lobes. A woody vine in warm-winter areas, purple passionflower dies back to the ground each fall in colder locations.
New plantings may take a year or two to get established. As the vine matures, it produces an extensive root system that can sprout to produce new vines some distance from the original plant. The vine supports itself with twining tendrils, allowing it to climb onto trees and fences. Although it is able to climb trees, it is best used as a cover for fences or on an arbor where you can easily appreciate the flowers’ scent and appearance.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 15 degrees Celsius (zones 7 to 10)
Water requirement: Grows in soils with dry to average moisture
Light requirement: Does best in full sun but will tolerate some shade
Mature size: Can grow 8 feet or more in a season
See how to grow purple passionflower
(Passiflora incarnata)
Native from southern New Jersey to Florida and westward to Kansas and Texas
Purple passionflower’s fragrant blooms look like something from a science-fiction movie and appear throughout the summer. Edible fruits, called maypops, begin to form in late July and are ripe when they turn yellow in autumn. The leaves are glossy green and about 6 inches long with three pointy lobes. A woody vine in warm-winter areas, purple passionflower dies back to the ground each fall in colder locations.
New plantings may take a year or two to get established. As the vine matures, it produces an extensive root system that can sprout to produce new vines some distance from the original plant. The vine supports itself with twining tendrils, allowing it to climb onto trees and fences. Although it is able to climb trees, it is best used as a cover for fences or on an arbor where you can easily appreciate the flowers’ scent and appearance.
Where it will grow: Hardy to 5 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 15 degrees Celsius (zones 7 to 10)
Water requirement: Grows in soils with dry to average moisture
Light requirement: Does best in full sun but will tolerate some shade
Mature size: Can grow 8 feet or more in a season
See how to grow purple passionflower
6. Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Native from southern New Hampshire to Florida and westward from eastern parts of Texas to North Dakota
Virginia creeper is the quintessential vine of eastern North America. Loved by some, disliked by others, it does an excellent job as a ground cover where few other plants flourish. When presented with a vertical surface, even a smooth one, it can scale it using its suction cup-tipped tendrils. Fortunately these tendrils aren’t particularly strong, and a season’s growth can be easily pulled from the side of a building.
Most of its leaves are divided into five leaflets. Occasionally new shoots have three leaflets, causing it to look a lot like poison ivy. Since the vine is deciduous, turning scarlet red in the fall, it doesn’t collect heavy snow and ice the way evergreen species, such as English ivy and winter creeper, do. A few people develop contact allergies with Virginia creeper, though that isn’t common (as with poison ivy). Its flowers are inconspicuous, leading to dark blue berries that are rapidly consumed by birds.
Caution: The berries are extremely toxic to humans if consumed.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Can tolerate wet to dry soils; will even grow in clay soils
Light requirement: Full sun to shade
Mature size: Grows to 35 feet long or more
Native from southern New Hampshire to Florida and westward from eastern parts of Texas to North Dakota
Virginia creeper is the quintessential vine of eastern North America. Loved by some, disliked by others, it does an excellent job as a ground cover where few other plants flourish. When presented with a vertical surface, even a smooth one, it can scale it using its suction cup-tipped tendrils. Fortunately these tendrils aren’t particularly strong, and a season’s growth can be easily pulled from the side of a building.
Most of its leaves are divided into five leaflets. Occasionally new shoots have three leaflets, causing it to look a lot like poison ivy. Since the vine is deciduous, turning scarlet red in the fall, it doesn’t collect heavy snow and ice the way evergreen species, such as English ivy and winter creeper, do. A few people develop contact allergies with Virginia creeper, though that isn’t common (as with poison ivy). Its flowers are inconspicuous, leading to dark blue berries that are rapidly consumed by birds.
Caution: The berries are extremely toxic to humans if consumed.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 40 degrees Celsius (zones 3 to 9)
Water requirement: Can tolerate wet to dry soils; will even grow in clay soils
Light requirement: Full sun to shade
Mature size: Grows to 35 feet long or more
7. Trumpet Creeper
(Campsis radicans)
Native from Connecticut to eastern Nebraska and southward to Texas and Florida
Trumpet creeper is a woody vine with intertwining branches. It is a common roadside sight in late summer when its large, tubular scarlet flowers — which are very attractive to hummingbirds — are in bloom. Its olive-green leaves are pinnate with coarsely toothed leaflets. Its leaves, along with its sprawling branches, give it a medium-course texture. New growth often appears at the top, on new stems, so older stems appear naked. Since it flowers off new wood, it can be pruned back significantly in the winter and still produce abundant blooms on a more compact plant.
The main concern with growing this vine is keeping its growth in check. Not only will the vine grow rapidly, but new plants also may pop up some distance from the parent plant, sprouting from deep underground runners. It climbs by attaching its long stems to objects with aerial roots. These roots will cling strongly to surfaces. It shouldn’t be allowed to climb on wood siding, stone or brick surfaces.
Use trumpet creeper where its vigorous nature is an advantage, such as on an arbor, in a hedgerow, to cover a fence or to quickly cover over less desirable landscape elements like old tree stumps or a pile of rocks. In a more formal setting, plants will need to be carefully trained and pruned back regularly to keep them in check. Some cultivars of trumpet creeper, such as ‘Indian Summer’, are reported to be less aggressive.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Tolerates moist to dry soils, growing in coarse sand as well as clay
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet in the north and 35 feet or more in the south
More
Why Aggressive Plants Might Actually Be Your Friends
See 5 Unexpected Ways to Use Vines
Browse plants native to your region
(Campsis radicans)
Native from Connecticut to eastern Nebraska and southward to Texas and Florida
Trumpet creeper is a woody vine with intertwining branches. It is a common roadside sight in late summer when its large, tubular scarlet flowers — which are very attractive to hummingbirds — are in bloom. Its olive-green leaves are pinnate with coarsely toothed leaflets. Its leaves, along with its sprawling branches, give it a medium-course texture. New growth often appears at the top, on new stems, so older stems appear naked. Since it flowers off new wood, it can be pruned back significantly in the winter and still produce abundant blooms on a more compact plant.
The main concern with growing this vine is keeping its growth in check. Not only will the vine grow rapidly, but new plants also may pop up some distance from the parent plant, sprouting from deep underground runners. It climbs by attaching its long stems to objects with aerial roots. These roots will cling strongly to surfaces. It shouldn’t be allowed to climb on wood siding, stone or brick surfaces.
Use trumpet creeper where its vigorous nature is an advantage, such as on an arbor, in a hedgerow, to cover a fence or to quickly cover over less desirable landscape elements like old tree stumps or a pile of rocks. In a more formal setting, plants will need to be carefully trained and pruned back regularly to keep them in check. Some cultivars of trumpet creeper, such as ‘Indian Summer’, are reported to be less aggressive.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (zones 4 to 9)
Water requirement: Tolerates moist to dry soils, growing in coarse sand as well as clay
Light requirement: Full to partial sun
Mature size: 20 to 30 feet in the north and 35 feet or more in the south
More
Why Aggressive Plants Might Actually Be Your Friends
See 5 Unexpected Ways to Use Vines
Browse plants native to your region
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1. Trumpet Honeysuckle
(Lonicera sempervirens)
Native to the eastern United States from southern Maine to Florida and westward to Illinois and Texas
Trumpet honeysuckle is most noted for its 1- to 2-inch-long tubular flowers that appear in early summer and are a magnet for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Under ideal growing conditions, it will put on a second flush of blooms in the fall. Flowers give way to orange to red berries in late summer and fall. Birds love these berries, which are inedible for humans.
This vine is held up by twining over supports like fences, pergolas or low branches of a nearby shrub or tree. For best results, young vines should be trained onto the desired support.
There are several commercially available cultivars selected for improved traits like flower color and compact growth. Common ones include ‘John Clayton’, which features yellow flowers and grows only 7 to 10 feet long; ‘Major Wheeler’, a floriferous cultivar with deep red flowers and very good mildew resistance; and ‘Magnifica’, a compact vine with crimson flowers with orangy lips.
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 34.4 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone)
Water requirement: Grows well in a wide range of soils, from well-drained to clay, under moist to dry conditions
Light requirement: Can tolerate shade but blooms best in full sun
Mature size: Grows 4 to 15 feet tall and 4 to 8 feet wide
See how to grow trumpet honeysuckle