17 Vines and Climbing Plants With Red Flowers
Thinking of adding a red flowering vine to your garden, but aren't quite sure where to start? There are many different options to add a vine with red flowers, many of them that climb without much support. In this article, we look at our favorite red flowering vines to help you choose the best fit for your garden!
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Looking for a climbing vine that will freely run up a trellis, or pergola in your garden? Maybe you are looking to add vine with red flowers that will climb a nearby fence or wall, and provide a little extra color?
Sure, you can always play it safe and grow chrysanthemums, dahilas, or any old flower that blooms in red. But there is something uniquely different about a mass of climbing vines with red flowers. Not to mention, many vines that produce red blooms do so with very little maintenance or input from their gardeners.
So, where do you start? There are plenty of options to choose from, so picking the right vine may be a bit intimidating. We’ve hand picked some of our favorite red flowering vines across many hardiness zones. So, no matter where you live, one of the following red flowering climbers should fit your home or garden space. Let’s jump in!
Coral Honeysuckle Vine
Scientific Name: Lonicera sempervirens L.
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Geographic Origin: Eastern United States
- Plant Size: 15 to 25 feet tall and 15 to 25 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full or Partial Sun
- Plant Zone: 4 through 11
This high-climbing vine boasts glossy green leaves with clusters of tubular, red blooms and bright red berries.
Blooms are trumpet-shaped with a yellow interior color, and they are a favorite food source for hummingbirds.
Coral honeysuckle works well as a ground cover, and it is an excellent climber.
The vine is not overly aggressive or invasive like other honeysuckle species. This plant can generally survive anywhere in the continental United States.
When coral honeysuckle gets established, it is tolerant to drought and heat. When it is grown in warmer climates, its leaves are evergreen.
This vine owes its name to Adam Lonicer, a German botanist from the 16th century.
Crossvine
Scientific Name: Bignonia capreolata L.
- Plant Type: Semi-evergreen vine
- Geographic Origin: South Eastern United States
- Plant Size: 30 to 50 feet tall and 6 to 9 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 6 through 9
Crossvine is a brightly colored flowering vine with red blooms, and is a member of the Bignoniaceae family.
That particular genus earned its name from the famed French botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort.
You can find crossvine throughout the southeastern United Stated in swamps, woods, and roadsides. This red flowering vine can grow to a massive size of 50 feet tall.
Crossvine leaves are bright green during the growing season. The foliage turns a reddish-purple color in the wintertime.
The trumpet-shaped flowers boast a deep orange-red color on the outside and flower from mid-spring to late summer. Ants and ruby-throated hummingbirds love the nectar found inside crossvine blooms.
Crossvine plants are easy to manage as ornamental vines, and they are a terrific native addition to your garden or landscape.
Dwarf Red Jade Vine
Scientific Name: Camptosema spectabile
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Geographic Origin: Brazil
- Plant Size: 12 to 15 feet tall and 15 to 20 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full or Partial Sun
- Plant Zone: 9 through 11
The dwarf red jade is a breath-taking red flowering vine native to Brazil. Though the vine originated in a hot, humid climate, the dwarf red jade is hardy and thrives through light frosts and cooler temperatures.
Once planted, the vine climbs very quickly and will produce thick tendrils. The tendrils are ideal for hanging on an arbor, and the dwarf red jade attracts red butterflies to complement its crimson blooms.
Until it gets established in your garden, the vine needs regular watering to grow successfully. You will see blooms appear quickly, but the vine takes about two or three years after planting to see its full blossoming potential.
Try utilizing partial sun exposure first, and then transition to full sun to avoid leaf burn.
Lipstick Plant
Scientific Name: Aeschynanthus radicans
- Plant Type: Evergreen vine
- Geographic Origin: Southeast Asia
- Plant Size: 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 10 through 11
The lipstick plant is a vine with red flowers from the Gesneriaceae family. In their native habitat, lipstick plants tend to grow on top of other plants. They can even be grown inside as hanging basket plants.
They are also called Mona Lisa vines and boast brilliant red blooms that contrast well with deep-green leaves all year round. There are also Aeschynanthus rastas with twisting leaves with dark crimson flowers.
The stunning plant is easy to take care of as long as it has enough light to thrive. Direct sunlight can easily overwhelm the vine, but not enough light will cause leaves to drop. Be careful to avoid overwatering, which tends to encourage fungal issues and root rot.
Rangoon Creeper
Scientific Name: Combretum indicum
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Geographic Origin: Asia
- Plant Size: Up to 30 feet tall and 8 to 26 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 10 through 11
If you long for a vine with red flowers that produces plenty of fragrance, the Rangoon creeper is a great choice.
This creeper vine is native to the secondary forests and thickets of India, Pakistan, Malaysia, and the Phillippines. Lots of Rangoon creeper vines have been naturalized in other tropical Asian countries like Thailand, Burma, and Vietnam.
The star-like flowers of this vine start with white blossoms that turn pink and then turn a deep red color. The blossoms are most fragrant after sundown and grow well in archways and arbors.
Red Bougainvillea Vine
Scientific Name: Bougainvillea spectabilis
- Plant Type: Evergreen vine
- Geographic Origin: Central and South America
- Plant Size: Up to 40 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 9 through 11
Bougainvillea is commonly found growing as a red flowering shrub, or ground cover. But it can also be grown as a vine! You can find this spectacular vine with red flowers in its native habitats of Central and South America, as well as the Gulf Coast, Florida, and south Texas. Once established, the red bougainvillea can survive light frosts.
The heaviest blooms will blossom during the cooler months of spring and fall. During the summer, these vibrant plants go dormant and do not bloom. The vines are quick growers with stiff stems and needle-like thorns.
To ensure proper climbing, you should tie stems to support the vine while it is young.
Red Cardinal Climber Vine
Scientific Name: Ipomoea × multifida
- Plant Type: Annual vine
- Geographic Origin: Central and South America
- Plant Size: 10 to 15 feet tall and ½ foot to 1 foot wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 3 through 11
Red cardinal climbers are a cross between the cypress vine and the scarlet morning glory, both of which have their spots on this list.
The best way to grow red cardinal climber vines is by using rich, well-draining soil under full sun exposure. It is tolerant to some shade, but too much shade stunts the showy floral display.
You should start your seeds indoors about four to six weeks before the last frost of winter, especially in climates with shorter growing seasons. The seeds will germinate rather slowly, so it’s a good idea to soak them for several hours first to speed up the process.
If you live somewhere with a longer growing season, you can plant the presoaked seeds right in the garden once there is no chance of frost and the soil warms up a bit. In warmer climates, this hybrid vine reseeds easily and can quickly overgrow if you don’t tend to them.
Red Climbing Fuchsia
Scientific Name: Fuchsia magellanica
- Plant Type: Perennial semi-climbing shrub
- Geographic Origin: Southern Chile and Argentina
- Plant Size: 2 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun or Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 6 through 9
Fuchsia plants are not technically vines with red flowers, but they grow in similar ways and can accent your garden just as well. The shrubs have pendant-shaped flowers that blossom from summer to autumn.
This hardy plant boasts pretty red flowers, and the vine survives winters that other fuchsia plants can not. It thrives in moist, well-drained soil with either full sun exposure or partial shade.
The shrub’s pollen-rich flowers are known for attracting moths, bees, and butterflies. The plant is also a key food source for caterpillars.
Red Climbing Roses
Scientific Name: Rosa santana
- Plant Type: Perennial shrub
- Geographic Origin: Northern Hemisphere
- Plant Size: 6 to 8 feet high and 3 to 4 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 6 through 8
Here is another climbing shrub that looks a lot like a vine with red flowers. Santana roses are red roses that have a soft, romantic fragrance and look lovely against a dark green backdrop of glossy, dark green leaves.
Red climbing roses are hybrid tea roses that measure between 8 and 10 centimeters each. The blooms appear between early spring and late autumn, showing off its big clusters of ruby red roses for the world to admire.
This variety of rose hybrid grows best in a sunny, sheltered spot and is well suited to almost any type of soil. These climbing roses are very resistant to downy mildew and reasonably resistant to blackspot.
Red Firecracker Vine
Scientific Name: Ipomoea lobata
- Plant Type: Annual vine
- Geographic Origin: Mexico and Brazil
- Plant Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and at least 6 feet high
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 10 through 11
Also called the Spanish flag vine, the red firecracker vine is widely grown globally as an ornamental plant.
The blooms appear from mid to late summer until the first frost. They attract lots of pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. It was originally called Mina lobata, and some gardeners still use that term to identify the plant.
It should be watered regularly for the first few weeks until the vine is well established. Once it has been established, it tends to be decently drought tolerant, but it’s best to ensure the vine gets enough water.
Red Flowering Cypress Vine
Scientific Name: Ipomoea quamoclit L.
- Plant Type: Annual vine
- Geographic Origin: Central and South America
- Plant Size: 6 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 10 through 11
This tropical vine with red flowers is native to Central and South America, but it grows very well in Texas. The red cypress vine produces loose leaves and hundreds of tubular red flowers to feast your eyes on.
The plant’s star-shaped flowers are a favorite of pollinators, and it is even called a Hummingbird Flower in some parts of the world. It will grow in any kind of soil and can survive short dry periods.
The vine grows very quickly, and you might get to enjoy new blooms in a short span of forty-five days. Seeding is simple because the red cypress vine practically seeds itself once you have established it.
Red Iochroma
Scientific Name: Iochroma fuchsioides
- Plant Type: Evergreen shrub
- Geographic Origin: Mexico, Columbia, and Peru
- Plant Size: 8 to 12 feet high and 3 to 9 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 9 through 10
Like many vines on this list, the red iochroma is pollinated by hummingbirds and attracts them from miles around. They come from the forests of Mexico and South America, producing tubular, bright red flowers.
In cooler plant zones, they are commonly used as patio shrubs, though they are mostly used as flowering ornamentals. This climbing shrub species is not very frost-hardy and should be protected during the winter months in cooler climates.
Red Mandevilla Vine
Scientific Name: Mandevilla sanderi
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Geographic Origin: Central America, South America, West Indies
- Plant Size: 3 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Plant Zone: 9 through 11
These striking vines with red flowers are sometimes called Red Riding Hood flowers and make for a wonderful hanging plant. The funnelform blossoms can reach up to 4 inches wide and 2 inches long.
This vine flowers year-round, and the flowers have a dreamy, pleasant fragrance. It is not known to be an invasive species, and no common pests or diseases pose any major concerns. However, mealybugs can occasionally infest these gorgeous plants.
The red Mandevilla vine grows best in well-drained soil with plenty of moisture and blooms profusely during the summer months.
Red Morning Glory
Scientific Name: Ipomoea coccinea L.
- Plant Type: Annual vine
- Geographic Origin: North, Central, and South America
- Plant Size: 8 to 12 feet tall and 5 to 20 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 9 through 11
The scientific name for the red morning glory vine comes from the Greek root word ips, which means worm, and homoios, which means resembling.
It is easy to see where the name comes from when you see the worm-like vines with red flowers.
The trumpet-shaped flowers are a vivid orange-red color and produce nectar that attracts lots of different insects and birds. Due to the shape of the flower, pollinators are covered in pollen and help the vine to self-pollinate.
Red Trumpet Vine
Scientific Name: Campsis radicans
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Geographic Origin: Eastern and Southern United States
- Plant Size: 30 to 40 feet high and 5 to 6 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade to Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 4 through 9
When you grow red trumpet vines, you will have no lack of flower clusters to accent your garden or landscape. The vine is a rather easy plant to establish and also attracts insects, hummingbirds, and butterflies.
If you want to successfully grow and maintain red trumpet vines, you need to use strategic placement in your garden. The vine uses aerial rootlets to spread, which can potentially damage brick, wood, and stone.
It is also important to control the red trumpet vine’s aggressive growth so that it doesn’t choke out your garden entirely. The vine grows best with full sunlight exposure but can be grown in partial shade as well.
Scarlet Clematis Vine
Scientific Name: Clematis texensis
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Geographic Origin: Southeastern United States
- Plant Size: 6 to 9 feet high and 2 to 3 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Partial Shade
- Plant Zone: 4 through 8
This vine with red flowers is also called Texas Clematis or Scarlet Leatherflower. It is a deciduous perennial, twining vine in the buttercup family. It is native to the southeastern United States, namely the Edwards Plateau in Texas.
The scientific name stems from the Greek word for brushwood or broken branch. This might allude to the vine’s famously fragile stems.
When planting scarlet clematis vines, ensure they get partial shade exposure in loamy soil or shallow rocky soil. No matter what soil you choose, it needs to have a neutral to alkaline pH.
This particular type of clematis is a hungry plant, so it helps to add low-nitrogen fertilizer to the soil every 4 to 6 weeks during the growing season.
Scarlet Runner Bean
Scientifc Name: Phaseolus coccineus
- Plant Type: Perennial vine
- Geographic Origin: Central and South America
- Plant Size: 8 to 12 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide
- Sun Exposure: Full Sun
- Plant Zone: 7 through 11
These twining perennial vines are a part of the pea family and are also grown as annuals in some climates. The vines are native to the mountain ranges of Central and South America, and they are grown for their beans as well as their showy flowers.
The scarlet flowers resemble pea blossoms and bloom from early summer to the first frost. The beans are rather tasty when they are plucked young, though they grow tough to eat if left on the vine for too long.
Flowers will begin to bloom about 4 or 5 weeks after you plant seeds, and you will see your first harvest of beans within 60 to 75 days. Picking the beans helps to encourage the growth of more flowers.
Final Thoughts
Vines with red flowers are an easy way to add stunning pops of red to your home and garden. They require only minimal maintenance but make a huge visual impact on any landscape. Whether you grow your vines against brick walls, arbors, or trellises, the plants are sure to enhance your garden in no time.
As you can see, there are plenty of varieties of vines with red flowers to choose from. No matter which one you pick, the pop of vivid color is sure to spice up your garden or landscape with a splash of undeniable vibrance.