Vines and Vine-like Plants

Talayote produces clusters of small cream and green milkweed flowers that are held above and among the large heart shaped foliage and can be found in flower from summer and into early fall attracting a host of smaller pollinators. Admittedly the flowers of Talayote are not extra large and showy but it could certainly be used in the garden as a screen or at the back of the garden if so desired. By some this plant may be considered weedy, simply remove any ripening seed pods to prevent unwanted seedlings. Talayote is a caterpillar food source for the Monarch, Queen, and Soldier butterflies. Item# 10828

A show stopper! Tangerine Beauty Cross Vine produces a huge mass of 2" orange trumpets with yellow throats in late spring with some blooms throughout summer on well-established vines. An easily grown and vigorous clinging native evergreen vine that can easily grow up masonry, tree bark, or other structures without support.Cross Vines are a low maintenance choice for fences, posts, and large trellises. The trumpet shaped flowers attract hummingbirds, bees and other pollinators. The unusual compound, glossy, dark green foliage takes on orange, red, bronze, and purple tones when grown in full sun during fall and winter.  Item# 12029

Clusters of soft yellow-orange tubular buds mature into medium orange tubular trumpet-shaped flowers that darken as they age. Flowering begins in late winter to early spring and continues cyclically throughout the growing season and finishing up in fall at the end of hummingbird season. Tangerine Princess Coral Honeysuckle, a Louisiana selection of Lonicera sempervirens, is a native, twining, deciduous, woody vine that is one of the longest flowering vines for attracting hummingbirds. The mother plant was discovered during a tour of the Dr. Charles Allen Nature Preserve in northern Louisiana with its namesake noted botanist, author, and retired professor Dr. Charles Allen, Ken and Sonie Milton, etal. Coral or Trumpet Honeysuckle will happily twine through a 6' high chain link fence or up an 8' arbor, trellis, or post. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. 1/4" red berries follow flowering and are a treat for songbirds. Item# 957

Dense spikes of intense red stamens that emerge from red, star-shaped calyxes are produced throughout the warmer months of the year or year round under tropical conditions. The Thailand Powder Puff, or Finger Lies on the Ground, is an unusual scandent (vine-like) shrub from tropical Africa. The showy flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. The gray-green foliage is remarkably similar to that of the Pineapple Guava. Item# 11389

Clusters of medium sized, double roses that range in color from near white to deep rosy red, depending on their age, and are produced at the ends and along the arching stems of this climbing or rambling heirloom garden rose. Greg Grant, in The Rose Rustlers, states that "when the showy multicolored clusters of 'Tausendschon' are in bloom everybody wants one!" Tausendschön Rose, or the english translation Thousand Beauties, is a reliable,disease resistant, and nearly thornless rambling, scrambling, or climbing heirloom garden rose whose long arching canes can be trained up an arbor, trellis, or along a fence and are sure to provide an amazing splash of spring color.  Provide a full to mostly sunny position with average moisture in a moderately fertile well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11919

Clusters of 3" long yellow, orange, orange-red, or red trumpets adorn this vigorous native vine throughout summer. An excellent choice for hummingbirds. Trumpet Creeper's vigor, tolerance of poor soils, and durability lend it to use in difficult sites. Use as an espalier, allow it to climb a sturdy fence, or cover an arbor. These are seedling grown and so the flower color may be range from a rich orange to nearly yellow to a dark brick red. Item# 11295

The Vanilla Orchid is an easily grown vining orchid that produces greenish-yellow flowers, and if pollinated, will be followed by the highly desirable 'beans' used to create Vanilla flavoring. Provide this easy to grow vine with a support, moderate to high light, and high humidity for best results. The flowers will need to be hand pollinated for fruit production. Item# 10433.

Glowing red flowers emerge from large clusters of nearly pure white calyces and create a brilliant contrast to the yellow, chartreuse, cream and green variegated new growth that typically matures to creamy white and dark green. A rare find and a beautiful and easy tropical vine. The Variegated Bleeding Heart Vine makes an excellent choice for a well-lit patio or porch with a northern or eastern exposure or anywhere it is shaded throughout the hottest portion of the day. Looks great on 4-6' high or larger trellis but can be kept to a smaller form if desired. Item # 694.

Large creamy yellow, white, and green foliage acts as the backdrop for large hanging clusters of 3" wide, sky blue trumpet shaped flowers that are produced on new growth throughout the summer and into fall. The Variegated Blue Sky Vine is a vigorous twining tropical vine that revels in the warmth of summer and this form appears to be just as vigorous and sun loving as the solid green form. Evergreen in frost free locations, establish in spring once the danger of frost has past as a die-back perennial vine in zones 8-9, or it can easily be maintained as a container plant where not hardy. Item# 1234

8" long golden trumpets with purple veins are borne in late winter and early spring on this scrambling tropical climber with cream and green variegated foliage. Most unusual. Item # 698.

The large heart-shaped foliage of the Variegated Heart Leaf Hoya is edged with a broad creamy-white band. An unusual tropical vine. A vigorous variegated Heartleaf Hoya which produces clusters of fragrant light pink flowers with a maroon eye that often cover themselves in a clear honey-colored nectar (especially toward evening). An easy and rewarding indoor, porch, or patio plant. Item# 454

The large heart-shaped foliage of the Variegated Heart Leaf Hoya is edged with a broad creamy-white band. An unusual tropical vine. A vigorous variegated Heartleaf Hoya which produces clusters of fragrant light pink flowers with a maroon eye that often cover themselves in a clear honey-colored nectar (especially toward evening). An easy and rewarding indoor, porch, or patio plant. Item# 11866

Large deep green heart shaped foliage is veined with silver and randomly splotched with maroon and black. The Variegated Monkey Ball Vine is a vigorous but manageable and unusual perennial twining tropical vine that will grow to the height of its support whether 6' or 30' high. Most resources suggest that it is only hardy to zone 10 but we have it in the ground here in zone 8B and it comes back reliably if well-established before cool fall and winter weather sets in. Also known as Ornamental Yam, Dioscorea dodecaneura, it is late to emerge from natural winter dormancy in spring but grows vigorously once it takes off. It can be easily overwintered indoors as a container plant where not hardy. Item# 3128

This  fragrant tropical vine flaunts wide cream to gold edging on the thick rich green foliage. Very fragrant, tubular, waxy white flowers are borne in clusters from early summer until late fall. Item # 9394.

One of the bluest of old rambling roses. Less thorny than most roses, vigorous, and fairly disease resistant. Produces clusters of fragrant, small, purple blossoms in spring which darken to a blue-purple as they age. Item # 715.

Redwing, Vining Maple, and Mariposa are among its many names, whatever you choose to call it this rather hardy vine with tropical origins creates quite a show throughout the warmer months of the year with a near continuous display of yellow, orchid-like flowers that are quickly followed by bright red, winged, maple-like seeds. Even the new growth is bright red adding to its color show. Grow Redwings as a vine or a sprawling shrub preferably in a sunny location and it should reward you for many years to come. Item # 1232.

Large clusters of lightly fragrant, 1 to 1-1/2" wide, 4-'petaled' white flowers often with light green accents are produced in mid to late summer attracting bees, hummingibirds, and other pollinators. The Virgin's Bower, Clematis virginiana, is a vigorous, deciduous, woody native vine climbing via tendril-like leaf petioles up to about 20' high where it has support. It is deer and rabbit resistant, is adaptable to soil types and moisture levels, as well as sunlight, although, plants grown in sun to part shade may flower more profusely. This is not to be confused with the invasive Sweet Autumn Clematis, Clematis terniflora, which has entire or smooth leaflet edges and the foliage is thick and leathery, whereas, Virgin's Bower, C. virginiana, has toothed leaflets and the foliage tends to be a darker green. Female flowers may be followed by densely 'bearded', long lasting seed heads. Note: These are seed raised plants which may have only male, only female, or both flower types on the same plant. Flower and overall plant images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 13179

Yellow trumpet shaped flowers are heavily accented by deep brick red in the throat and are produced in mass in spring to early summer with flowering coinciding with the arrival of migrating hummingbirds. The flowers have a fragrance similar to the candy Bit O' Honey that my mother often enjoyed as we were growing up. The flowers also attract larger bees and other pollinators. The Wabash Valley Crossvine, a selection of Bignonia capreolata from its northern most regions in Wabash County in southern Illinois and was selected by the late Dr. Wesley Whiteside and was introduced to the nursery trade by Ellen Hornig via Broken Arrow Nursery. It was selected at least in part for its reliable zone 6 cold hardiness. The Crossvine is a vigorous semi-evergreen, clinging native vine that produces pads at the ends of its tendrils that can attach to most surfaces without harming brickwork and masonry. These native vines make a low maintenance choice for fences, posts, arbors, and larger trellises. Item# 13055

The White Bleeding Heart Vine produces large clusters of white, bell shaped, flower like calyces from which deep red almost butterfly-like flowers emerge. This vigorous twining tropical climber will flower throughout the warmer months of the year or practically year round where protected from frosts and freezes. The dark green foliage acts as the perfect foil for the long-lasting bright white calyces. The White Bleeding Heart Vine may freeze to the ground in the coldest portions of its range but established plants typically return in spring. An easy and rewarding container plant where not hardy. Item # 723.

6" wide clusters of 1" wide cup-shaped creamy white flowers with a maroon 'star' placed in the center of the flower may be borne from spring through summer on this easy to grow and vigorous Wax Flower. Large, thick and wide, pointed dark green foliage on a vigorous growing vine. The White Papau Wax Flower makes an easy to enjoy and low maintenance container specimen that will wow you when it is in flower! Item# 9863