Explore Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Can't find the answer in our existing FAQs, submit a question to Mr. Smarty Plants.
Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.
rate this answer
Wednesday - May 14, 2008
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Vines
Title: Fast growing, evergreen vine for deck
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hi, I hope you might help me select the most appropriate flowering vine for my situation. I am looking for a fast growing, mostly evergreen, and long blooming flowering vine for a large container (probably 18 in pot). Fragrance would be a wonderful bonus. I hope to grow it up a strong, 10'X 8' wooden lattice with full afternoon sun on a deck about 40 feet up in the air with a mostly western but also southern exposure. We are located near the top of a high hill in west Austin, and the deck frequently sustains a strong breeze. I have a new dawn rose and a carolina jessamine in the same location and, while they look lovely and have done well, they have not grown as much in the last couple of years as I would have liked, nor do they bloom very long. I am trying to decide between the John Clayton Coral Honeysuckle, the trumpet creeper, the crossvine, japanese honeysuckle, the coral vine, and any sort of Jasmine and climbing rose. I can move my existing plants if the new vine needs the entire lattice. I would love to know which vines would bloom within the first couple of years, and which would bloom the most profusely for longest. I also hope to acquire a bit of screening and afternoon shade from the vine. I plan to water it with a micro-drip tubing system, and can water it a lot or very little, as required. I would appreciate any opinion or recommendations you have from among the vines I mentioned, or others, and I could plant several if you recommend a nice combo. Thank you for your feedback, and for this excellent site!ANSWER:
Here's an assessment of the vines you asked about, plus a few added ones. On the home pages for each of the native ones be sure to read about their growing conditions.Too bad Gelsemium sempervirens (evening trumpetflower) hasn't done better since it is fragrant, evergreen and beautiful.
'John Clayton' is a yellow version of Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle). It is mostly evergreen in Austin and reasonably fast growing and flowers best in the sunshine. Grows in sun and part shade. It isn't fragrant, but it attracts hummingbirds.
Bignonia capreolata (crossvine) is semi-evergreen, fast growing and blooms profusely in the sunshine. It is somewhat fragrant. It will grow in sun or part shade. It attracts hummingbirds.
Campsis radicans (trumpet creeper) looks a lot like crossvine, but it isn't evergreen. It is very fast growing, one might even say "aggressive". It will bloom most of the summer. It grows best in sun and is slightly fragrant. Attracts hummingbirds.
Lonicera albiflora (western white honeysuckle) frequently grows as a shrub, but will twine. It is not evergreen and not fragrant.
Wisteria frutescens (American wisteria) is the non-invasive native cousin of the invasive Asian species, W. floribunda (Japanese wisteria) and W. sinensis (Chinese wisteria). It is fast-growing and very fragrant, but is not evergreen.
Antigonon leptopus (coral vine) is native to Mexico and, although it will grow in Austin, it will not be evergreen here and is not fragrant.
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) is also a non-native plant and, moreover, it is listed on the TexasInvasives.org web site as an invasive species. For this reason we would recommend that you avoid this species completely even though you are planting in a container rather than in the soil. Birds distribute the fruits and it is fast growing and aggressive, killing native plants by covering them and shading out sunlight and by girdling the trunk with its vines.
More Vines Questions
Non-flowering deciduous vine for Phoenix AZ
March 27, 2011 - Are there any non-flowering deciduous vines native to the Southwest? I'd like to plant them to shade our windows in the hot Phoenix summers. If only perennials are available, can I cut it back each w...
view the full question and answer
Propagate a trumpet vine from a cutting in Toms River NJ
July 17, 2009 - Can you propagate a trumpet vine from a cutting?
view the full question and answer
Looking for a supplier for Mustang Grape vine in Austin, TX>
April 02, 2012 - I'm looking for a supplier in Austin that will have a Mustang Grape Vine seed or plant for purchase. I found Natives of Texas in Kerrville, but if you know of a supplier in Austin, that would be pre...
view the full question and answer
Eliminating a briar vine in American holly
July 22, 2011 - I have a wild vine (I was told it is a type of briar) living on my place. The root nest is like a potato. I have dug them up, I have sprayed them and I still am plagued with them. I have a beautiful A...
view the full question and answer
No Grapes on Vines in Sonora, CA
May 31, 2011 - We have lived in our home since 2002 and have a grapevine that grows beautiful green lush leaves and vines every year but never has produced grapes. What can I do to get some grapes on this vine?
view the full question and answer
 |
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. Mr. Smarty Plants wants you to be his Facebook friend. Click the Facebook icon to add yourself to Mr. Smarty Plants list of friends. |
