Vines for Alabama Landscapes

AUBURN, May 3---Vines are among the most versatile plants in the landscape. They cover arbors or trellises, provide privacy on patios, add character or color to fences or walls, hide unsightly views, enhance the canopy of trees, and serve as a groundcover where turfgrass is undesirable or will not grow.

When selecting vines for the home landscape, there are a number of factors to consider, including intended use, location in the landscape, plant hardiness zone, soil adaptability, type of support needed, color of blooms or foliage and maintenance requirements, says Mary Beth Musgrove, a horticulturist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Some fast growing vines, such as Wisteria, honeysuckle or even kudzu, require a lot of routine pruning. If allowed to spread without restraint, their profuse growth can cover trees and shrubs, reducing light and aeration within the canopy. Some vines can even injure or kill small trees by wrapping around them and cutting off nutrient flow. Other vines, such as Sweet Autumn Clematis disperse their seeds after flowering and may pop up in areas where they are not wanted.

Landscape designers often use vines on trees to provide a new dimension to the tree canopy. For example, an oak tree bearing bright orange flowers of Cross Vine, is sure to create a conversation piece in the landscape.

Bougainvillea or Allamanda are excellent for use in patio pots or hanging baskets, Musgrove says. Moonvine adds a wonderful fragrance with an evening bloom. Honeysuckle and Trumpet Creeper are prized for their flowers, while other vines, such as Five-leaf Akebia, Climbing Fig, and Ivy, are grown for their foliage. Wisteria is sometimes trained as a single-standing specimen or small tree in the landscape.

The amount of training a vine requires is also an important consideration, Musgrove adds. Some vines cling and climb naturally while others must be trained to follow the supporting wire, pole, fence or other structure. The support structure for the vine should influence the type vine you choose to plant.

Popular annual vines, such as Moonvine, Blackeyed Susan Vine, Sweet Pea, Purple Hyacinth Bean and Morning Glory, are grown from seed each year. Perennial vine favorites include Trumpet Creeper, Clematis, Wisteria and Carolina Jessamine.

Climbing vines are separated into three basic types -- clinging, twining and winding.

Clinging vines grasp onto a rough surface by means of rootlets or adhesive disks. Climbing Fig, English Ivy, Confederate Jasmine, Virginia Creeper and Trumpet Creeper are all clingers. Although these vines are often used to cover solid surfaces, such as walls and fences, Musgrove warns that they can loosen mortar between bricks over time and are difficult to remove once they have become anchored.

"Their method of clinging can damage wood by clinging too closely and by growing up between boards or siding, preventing air circulation and promoting wood decay. Clinging vines are best suited for trellises or arbors away from solid surfaces."

Twining vines climb by encircling upright supports, such as poles, wires and lattices. These vines require training to follow a support. Examples include Mandevilla, Wisteria, Carolina Jessamine and Morning Glory.

Winding vines climb by means of tendrils. These slim, flexible, leafless stems wrap around anything they contact, says Musgrove. One of the best examples of winding vine is the Muscadine Grape. Ornamental vines in this category include Maypop, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Clematis and Cross Vine.

Most flowering vines need at least a half day of sun for vigorous growth and abundant blooming. Other vines, such as variegated English ivy, develop vivid leaf patterns when provided a few hours of morning sun. Flowering vines should be pruned after they bloom. The amount of pruning depends on the vigor of the vine and the amount of foliage you desire.

For more information on growing vines in Alabama, contact your county Extension office and ask for the new publication "Vines for Alabama Landscapes," ANR-1198. The publication includes descriptive lists of both perennial and annual vines, planting, propagation and fertilization recommendations, types of vine supports and pruning instructions.

SOURCE: Mary Beth Musgrove, Extension Horticulturist, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, (334)844-5681