The 17 best vines to climb an arbor or trellis

A vine-covered arbor is a welcoming sight that invites you into your garden. This is what transforms an entrance to the backyard to an invitation to enter a magical place full of the magic and wonders of nature.

I may be guilty of asking my husband to build “just one more” structure to support a flowering vine, and for a pollinator enthusiast, these are some of the most valuable plants to draw in our winged garden helpers. Can you ever have too many structures that are covered with plants? 

It’s not just me who enjoys vertical elements. Climbing plants can also create privacy for those with limited space. I’ve gathered 17 beautiful, well-behaved climbing plants This article will help you transform your garden to an inviting and comfortable space that attracts both butterflies and humans. 

‘Peaches & Cream’ Honeysuckle

	The botanical name of the plant Lonicera periclymenun ‘Peaches & Cream’
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 6’-10’
	hardiness zones 4-9

You can’t go wrong with Peaches & Cream honeysuckle as a low-maintenance vine with a major wow factor. This hardy flowering plant has a long lifespan, and will return reliably to spring for at least 20 years. Climbing up to 10 feet, this one has excellent coverage but won’t get out of control. 

The beautiful purple, peach and white flowers are a magnet for pollinators. As they mature, these fragrant flowers deepen their color and give way to red or purple berries. Birds will flock to your garden if you plant these fruits. Put a water source nearby, and you’ve got a perfect start to a pollinator garden.

Carolina Jessamine

	The botanical name of the plant Gelsemium sempervirens
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 15’-20’
	hardiness zones 6-9

This beautiful flowering vine will cover your garden with cascading leaves covered in sweetly scented yellow flowers.  Carolina jessamine, also called Carolina jasmine, is a wonderful, large, vining plant that flowers prolifically and isn’t picky about its surroundings. It will grow in either full or partial sun. Full sun produces lusher foliage and more flowers. 

Once established, older plants are more drought-tolerant and sturdy. Carolina jessamine is tolerant of hard pruning so you don’t have to worry about it outgrowing its space. Cut the plant back if it gets too big or leggy.

American Wisteria

	The botanical name of the plant Wisteria fruitescens
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height 15’-30’
	hardiness zones 5-9

The Japanese wisteria species can be invasive. But the American wisteria, with its fragrant lavender clusters, is more well-behaved. These flowers smell almost as wonderful as bumblebees. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a wisteria vine without bumblebees during the day!

The American wisteria is a great vine plant for covering tall structures. The plant can reach up to 30 ft. tall and cover large areas. This plant can be easily contained by pruning, which will maintain its fullness and lushness. 

‘Alexandra’ Bougainvillea 

	The botanical name of the plant Bougainvillea Alexandra
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height 8’-10’
	hardiness zones 10-11

Bougainvilleas are a South American flowering plant with flamboyant bracts. They surround the small, white and yellow blooms. These bracts can be mistaken for flowers but are actually modified leaves. These bracts are very durable and long-lasting. 

The Alexandra species has fuchsia, magenta, and other vibrant bracts at the end of its branches. If you live in tropical climate, this is an excellent vine plant for growing over a trellis. This plant is drought resistant and easy to maintain. 

‘Blue Angel’ Clematis

	The botanical name of the plant Clematis ‘Blue Angel’
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 10’-15’
	hardiness zones 4-9

‘Blue Angel’ is a large variety of clematis with delicate, soft blue flowers that are quite large. The flowers of this clematis are large, measuring four to six inch in diameter. It’s no wonder that this variety was called the Award of Garden Merit Royal Horticultural Society – a great resource!

Clematis tolerates salt well and is not picky about its location. It likes the shade at the bottom and the sun on top, which it creates by itself as the plant grows. Pollinators are attracted to the flowers. It is a well-behaved vine that needs to be pruned regularly to prevent it from becoming tangled.

Star Jasmine

	The botanical name of the plant Trachelospermum jasminoides
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 2’-20’
	hardiness zones 8-10

This elegant species of jasmine grows steadily and is moderate. The foliage is a mix of shades from pink to red, before turning green. This autumnal plant gets a reddish bronze tint that intensifies when it is cold.

The flowers begin to bloom late in the spring, and continue intermittently throughout the summer. They also bloom into the fall. Flowers are fragrant and white. The flowers release their fragrance more in the evening. This is why this plant is great to grow around an outdoor dining area. 

The Trailing Nasturtium

	The botanical name of the plant Tropaeolum majus
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 5’-6’
	hardiness zones 2-11

This plant is perfect for your vegetable garden. This plant is perfect for adding a vertical element to your vegetable garden that will enhance the flavor of other vegetables. All parts of the Nasturtium are edible including the flowers. 

The foliage is attractive and parasol-shaped. These plants can reach up to 10 feet tall in one season. The vibrantly colored flowers are a striking contrast to the cool, green background. As an annual, you don’t have to worry about it taking over. Nasturtiums look bold and lush and are both edible and decorative.

‘Peggy Martin’ Rose

	The botanical name of the plant Rosa ‘Peggy Martin’
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height 15’
	hardiness zones 4-9

If there is one plant on the list that I can’t say enough good things about, the ‘Peggy Martin’ rose takes the prize. Peggy Martin, the rose that was famous for having survived two weeks of salt water following Hurricane Katrina is resilient and comes in a pretty package. 

Roses can be high maintenance, but ‘Peggy’ is notoriously easy to grow. The plant’s long, slender stems grow in inches over night. In spring and summer, the vines produce clusters of flowers with double petals. The plant prefers full sun but partial shade will also work. Fertilize ‘Peggy Martin’ well and watch her take off!

Purple Bell Vine

	The botanical name of the plant Rhodochiton atrosanguineum
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 10’
	hardiness zones 10-12

Another winner of the Award of Garden MeritThe purple bell vine, a tropical flowering vine native to Mexico, is very low maintenance and adds a lot of beauty to your garden. It has heart-shaped, bright green leaves with red veins and margins to match the flowers.

The flowers are in shades of magenta or burgundy. The flowers have long tubes of petals that hang from the fuchsia calyces. These tubes fall off after pollination and the sepals become more colorful. They hold on for several weeks. It can be cultivated annually in colder regions, because it is a vigorous climber. 

Black-eyed Susan Vine

	The botanical name of the plant Thunbergia alati
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height 3’-8’
	hardiness zones 10-12

The vine, although not related to black-eyed Susans of the Rudbeckia family, shares an aesthetic similarity with its namesake. The throat of the large, single yellow and orange flowers is deep purple. Some varieties are also peach-colored, but some have cream, yellow, or pale pink flowers. 

The vine will thrive in full sunlight and grow dense and lush under the right conditions. The vines have thin leaves with heart-shaped, deep green color. This is a long-bloomer that begins to produce flowers early in the summer and continues to bloom well into the fall. 

Climbing Hydrangea

	The botanical name of the plant Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 30’-50’
	hardiness zones 4-8

You’ll want to grab one of these vines if you love hydrangeas. This vigorous climber can reach heights as high as 30 feet under the right conditions. This plant is perfect for covering a wall, fence, or other structure. It is a plant that can grow over arbors and walls. 

The climbing hydrangea has a reddish brown exfoliating bark. The spring brings bold, green foliage with large flat flowerheads that resemble lacecaps. This plant is considered special by the Royal Horticultural Society, since it was awarded with the Award of Garden Merit. 

	The botanical name of the plant Lathyrus odoratus ‘Royal Navy’
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height 8’
	hardiness zones 3-9

If you’re looking for a climbing vine to add to your cut flower garden, sweet pea plants are perfect for the task. ‘Royal Navy’ is a long-stemmed type with dramatic, royal blue flowers with a delightfully sweet fragrance. This plant grows up to eight feet high and produces many beautiful flowers.

Cut the sweet peas before they set seed. They can reseed themselves aggressively. Don’t be surprised if you see a plant spring up across the yard, as they tend to travel. However, they’re easy to pull and only last one season. They are loved by pollinators for their abundance in nectar.

Coral Vine

	The botanical name of the plant Antigonon leptopus
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height up to 40’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Coral vines attract a lot of pollinators, and they look beautiful. This is the perfect plant to grow in your garden to attract bees. Fortunately, it doesn’t have a large footprint and doesn’t travel far, so while it will grow quite large, it dies back in the winter and doesn’t spread aggressively. 

The vines are thin, twining and have light green leaves and clusters of coral colored flowers. The vines are perennials in warmer climates and can grow up to 40 feet. This vine is easily 10 feet long as an annual, but in warmer climates it can grow up to 40 feet. 

‘Sky Blue’ Snapdragon Vine

	The botanical name of the plant Asarina scandens ‘Sky Blue’
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 10’
	hardiness zones 9-10

The vine is named after a popular flower. However, it’s not related to snapdragons. However, the flowers closely resemble those of their namesake. Hummingbirds love its trumpet-shaped flower. 

It is slow to start, but it will cover a trellis quickly once it gets going. ‘Sky Blue’ has beautiful periwinkle-colored blooms and deep green foliage. These vines are also great in containers. 

Firecracker Vine

	The botanical name of the plant Ipomoea lobata or Mina lobata
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height 16’
	hardiness zones 9-11

It is closely related to the morning glory, and other vigorous growers of the Ipomoea family. It grows fast in full sunlight and warm temperatures. Another RBS winner Award of Garden MeritIt has beautiful flowers in warm tones and trilobed leaves. 

In warmer climates, this heat-loving perennial grows. Don’t shy away from planting it in the sunniest spot in the garden. This is where it will thrive. It will thrive here. Firecracker vine prefers sandy or loamy soil and won’t perform as well in clay-heavy soil types. 

Scyphanthus elegans

	The botanical name of the plant Scyphanthus elegans
	sun requirements Full sun
	Height 8’
	hardiness zones 8-11

This fast-growing flowering vine will cover your arbor or trellis with beautiful flowers and frilly leaves. This plant is a climber that can be attached to almost any structure. It will produce flowers from three to four months during the summer. 

Flowers with semi-tubular, flared and flattened petals at the outer edge are very complex. The flower is decorated with fun red floating structures in the middle and yellow petals surrounding a throat of white. The plant’s easygoing nature and robustness make up for the difficult name. 

Chilean Glory flower

	The botanical name of the plant Eccremocarpus Scaber
	sun requirements Shade or full sun
	Height 10’-15’
	hardiness zones 8-11

Chilean glory flowers are a tropical plant that has surprising cold tolerance. This vine, unlike most tropical vines that are susceptible to frost, can survive the winters of zone 8 where frost and hard freezes can be common. The plant looks best when it is grown in full sunshine, but will tolerate partial shade. 

Cuttings can be taken from the vine in the fall, rooted inside and planted in spring in a cooler climate. Evergreen vines with tubular flowers in red and orange are a favorite of hummingbirds. The vines reach up to 15 foot in length and have dense, attractive foliage.