15 US-Native Climbing Plants and Vines

Landscaping with native plants is a joy with so many rewards. When working with plants native to your region, you’ll find they are easy to grow, generally low-maintenance, and look great too. Many of the vines native to the United States are highly ornamental, with beautiful and showy flowers and many different species that bloom from spring until fall. 

Vines are often overlooked as landscaping plants. You may be wary of a vine that grows quickly and spreads beyond its intended plot, but they aren’t all aggressive, and there are situations where a climbing vine can be highly desirable. Many vines are hardy perennials that will come back looking robust and healthy year after year.

The most important thing to remember when choosing vines for your landscape is to select the best plants for your garden. Choose an assortment of species that are hardy in your climate zone. Pay attention to the sunlight, soil quality, and drainage of your yard to gauge which plants will thrive in your specific conditions. Also, be aware of how much space you have, and if you’re growing a vine or climbing plant, do you have an appropriate and durable place for it to climb?

If you’re ready to explore some native US vines, keep reading to learn more about 15 fantastic, colorful, showy native vines that you can easily grow in your home garden.

American Wisteria

	botanical name Wisteria frutescens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 15 – 40 feet
	hardiness zones 5 – 9

Don’t confuse the native American wisteria with its invasive cousin, the Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis). The native wisteria grows along moist forest edges in the southeastern United States and blooms in mid to late spring with its super showy and fragrant drooping floral racemes. American wisteria produces smooth, flattened seed pods up to five inches long. The invasive wisteria also has spring-blooming, fragrant, showy purple flowers, followed by flattened, velvety seed pods. 

American wisteria is a twining vine that performs best when it has a sturdy structure on which to grow. Use a fence, arbor, or large trellis to give it some support. This plant prefers moist, well-drained soil with full sun for maximum flowering display. American wisteria is a vigorous grower and can spread by self-seeding and rhizomes; it isn’t as aggressive as Chinese wisteria and is a better alternative for a manageable garden. You can help control your wisteria by planting it in a container garden or raised bed.

Carolina Jessamine

	botanical name Gelsemium sempervirens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10 – 20 feet
	hardiness zones 6 – 10

Carolina Jessamine is an evergreen vine native to the southeastern United States. It tolerates light shade but will produce the most abundant flowers when grown in full sun. Carolina Jessamine prefers moist, well-drained soil.

This twining vine looks stunning growing up a lattice fence or over an arbor. Without something to climb on, Carolina Jessamine makes a dense ground cover, although it will always be looking for something to climb, including nearby trees and shrubs. The bright yellow flowers are fragrant and bloom in early springtime, a sure sign that summer is on its way!

Climbing Aster

	botanical name Ampelaster carolinianus
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8 – 10 feet
	hardiness zones 6 – 9

Climbing aster isn’t a twining vine, but it will happily climb up any available support. These plants are herbaceous perennials that can grow (and climb) up to 10 feet or more. They will grow along fences, trellises, or walls for support. When no support is available, they’ll simply flop over and sprawl along the ground.

This spreading aster plant is a pollinator favorite; it makes an excellent perennial for your pollinator garden. From late summer and often until the first frost, the climbing aster produces copious numbers of pale pink to lilac-colored flowers. These plants are quite prolific and spread quickly. Do some annual pruning to remove unwanted growth or divide plants regularly to maintain a more compact display unless you are looking for a plant to naturalize and populate a larger area.

Climbing Hydrangea

	botanical name Hydrangea barbara
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 12 – 36 feet
	hardiness zones 6 – 8

Climbing hydrangea is a vine native to moist bottomlands of the southeastern United States. It prefers moist to semi-wet soils with plenty of shade. This would be an excellent native plant for a rain garden or as an understory plant for a wooded wetland edge. Incorporate it into your wildlife-friendly landscape or shade garden.

Climbing hydrangea blooms from late spring into early summer. The fragrant clusters of small white flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Climbing hydrangea is a vine that attaches itself by clinging to a structure, such as a nearby tree, fence, or wall, with tiny aerial roots. These vines are semi-evergreen, retaining their glossy leaves throughout the winter in warmer climates.

Coral Honeysuckle

	botanical name Lonicera sempervirens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10 – 20 feet
	hardiness zones 4 – 9

Coral honeysuckle is a twining vine native to the southeastern United States. It grows in moist forested habitats and along forest edges and is well adapted to partially shaded conditions with moist, well-drained soil. It is super easy to grow, doesn’t require any effort to control its growth, and is much better for the environment than the invasive Japanese honeysuckle. 

If you’re looking for an ideal plant for your hummingbird, look no further. Hummingbirds adore the trumpet-shaped scarlet red flowers of the coral honeysuckle. These highly ornamental flowers bloom from mid-spring until mid-summer, sometimes enjoying a late-season second blooming period. Coral honeysuckle is semi-evergreen, retaining most or all of its foliage in warmer climates. After flowering, these plants develop ornamental bright red berry-like fruits that feed fall and winter birds.

Crossvine

	botanical name Bignonia capreolata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30 – 50 feet
	hardiness zones 5 – 9

Crossvine is native to the eastern United States and Canada. This twining vine grows in moist woodlands with full sun to partial shade. It even tolerates heavy shade, although it may not flower as well as plants grown in sunnier locations. The leaves stay evergreen in southern climates but turn bright red before falling off for the winter in more temperate climates.

Crossvine is very appealing to hummingbirds and pollinators. The large, trumpet-like flowers bloom in mid to late spring. Crossvine flowers are deep red-orange in the center with yellow-orange outer petals. These vines love to climb and would do best with a tree, fence, or sturdy trellis to attach themselves to. Without a support, the crossvine will spread along the ground and make a good ground cover. 

Muscadine Grape

	botanical name Vitis rotundifolia
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 50 – 90 feet
	hardiness zones 5 – 9

Muscadine grape is a hardy, vigorous climbing vine native to open woodlands of the southeastern United States. This jumbo-sized climber can grow up to 90 feet long and reach several inches in diameter. Muscadine grape vines grow best when supported by a sturdy trellis and pruned annually to help manage their growth for a home garden setting. 

Muscadine grapes, also known as Scuppernong grapes, have many cultivars. The native species have relatively sparse fruit production. The grapes themselves have thick, dark reddish purple skin and a distinctively sweet-tart flavor. Enjoy snacking on these tasty treats straight off the vine, or use them for jams and preserves. This is a great plant for a wildlife-friendly landscape, as pollinators visit the flowers, and many small animals enjoy eating the fruits.

Passion Flower

	botanical name Passiflora incarnata
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6 – 20 feet or more
	hardiness zones 5 – 9

The purple passionflower, also commonly called maypop, is a tender vine native to the southeastern United States. Passionflower is a fast-growing vine that inhabits moist fields, woodland edges, and along stream banks. These vines spread readily in ideal conditions to be prepared to pull out any unwanted seedlings before they get out of hand.

Passiflora incarnata is happy to climb and twine up a trellis or fence for support, but if no support is available, it will sprawl along the ground and make a dense ground cover. The immensely showy flowers are elaborate, pale purple, and hugely popular with pollinators. This native passion flower vine is also the larval host plant for several species of butterflies. The mature fruits are sweet and edible.

Swamp Leather Flower

	botanical name Clematis crispa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6 – 10 feet
	hardiness zones 6 – 9

The swamp leather flower is a showy native clematis from the south-central and southeastern United States. It grows in moist forests and floodplains and requires constant soil moisture and organically rich soil to perform well. Mulching around the roots will help protect plants from drying out.

The swamp leather flower is a twining native vine that appreciates a trellis or other sturdy support to climb. The highly ornamental purple, bell-like flowers bloom in spring and summer, attracting butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. This would be an excellent plant for a woodland wildlife garden as long as you have a moist plot for it to grow.

Trumpet Creeper

	botanical name Campsis radicans
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30 – 40 feet
	hardiness zones 4 – 10

Trumpet creeper is native to the southeastern United States, where it grows freely in a variety of habitats. Don’t confuse the native trumpet creeper with the very similar Chinese trumpet creeper (Campsis grandiflora). Both of these species are fast-growing, and once established, they spread aggressively and are difficult to manage. Plant them in open and wild areas.

Trumpet creeper has large, dark orange flowers. These long tubular flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds and bees. Trumpet vine grows very fast, and its woody vines twine and climb up any nearby support, including trees, fences, and walls. Be prepared to perform regular maintenance on any trumpet creeper you grow to prevent it from spreading and invading any surrounding garden plots. 

Virginia Creeper

	botanical name Parthenocissus quinquefolia
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30 – 50 feet
	hardiness zones 3 – 10

Virginia creeper is a long, climbing vine native to central and eastern North America. This vine is very common and widespread, growing in forests, along forest edges, along roadsides, and in urban areas. It isn’t picky about growing conditions and will thrive just about anywhere. 

Some people consider Virginia creeper to be weedy, while others enjoy it as a natural ground cover and appreciate its bright red fall foliage. It readily climbs up trees, fences, walls, and houses, so carefully consider where you want to plant it, allowing it plenty of space to spread. Remove any vining stems growing in unwanted directions; they are much easier to pry off of structures while they’re still young and fresh.

Virgin’s Bower

	botanical name Clematis virginiana
	sun requirements Full sun to full shade
	height 15 – 20 feet
	hardiness zones 6 – 8

This native clematis species is found in moist forests of the south-central and southeastern United States. It looks very similar to the invasive Japanese clematis (Clematis terniflora). One of the easiest ways to tell these two species apart is by examining the leaves. The native clematis has toothed leaves, while the invasive species has smooth-edged leaves. 

Virgin’s bower produces copious clusters of small, white, fragrant flowers. These native climbing vines grow quickly and will climb anything they can reach. Grow them on a partially shaded trellis for maximum showiness and flowering. The leaves, flowers, and stems of this plant are toxic if ingested, so keep it away from curious pets and children. 

White Leaf Leather Flower

	botanical name Clematis glaucophylla
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10 – 15 feet
	hardiness zones 6 – 10

The white-leaf leather flower is a perennial vine native to the southeastern United States. It grows naturally in moist, open woodlands and along streams and ravines. This plant performs best in partial shade with organically rich, moist, well-drained soil.

The white-leaf leather flower is a climbing vine with long, thin stems and showy flowers. The pink bell-like flowers are very attractive to bees and hummingbirds and this would be an excellent plant to support pollinators in your wildlife-friendly landscape. Give it a trellis or other vertical support to climb on so it can reach for the light and display its beautiful flowers.

Wooly Pipevine

	botanical name Aristolochia tomentosa
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20 – 30 feet
	hardiness zones 5 – 8

Wooly pipevine, also known as Dutchman’s pipe, is a vigorous native climbing vine native to the south-central and southeastern United States. It typically grows in moist, open woodlands and performs well in full sun and partial shade. All parts of this plant are toxic if ingested, so keep away from curious children and pets.

Wooly pipevine is an interesting plant. The spring-blooming brown flowers look like miniature pipes and are frequently hidden by the dense foliage. The heart-shaped leaves provide essential nutrition for the pipevine swallowtail caterpillar. If you choose to grow this plant in your landscape, be aware that it will spread freely by root runners. Be prepared to manage its exuberant growth tendencies or grow it where you don’t need to control it. 

Yellow Honeysuckle

	botanical name Lonicera flava
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10 – 20 feet
	hardiness zones 5 – 8

Yellow honeysuckle is a well-behaved vine native to the southeastern United States. It grows naturally in moist forests, ravines, and streamsides. In a cultivated setting, give it a place with partial sun and moist, well-drained soil. Mulching around the roots will help ensure winter survival. 

This is an excellent plant for a pollinator garden or bird garden. The fragrant, pale yellow to yellow-orange flowers bloom in mid to late spring, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. You’ll need two plants to cross-pollinate if you want your yellow honeysuckle to produce fruits. Birds enjoy eating the small, round, berry-like fruits produced by this plant. This native honeysuckle is also a larval host plant for the bumblebee clearwing moth.