Annual vines can add color and decoration to an otherwise drab landscape. Since they’re only meant to grow and flower for one year, you can change up the appearance of your garden every single year without having to commit to many years of growing the same plant.
The most common types of annual vines include the cup and saucer vine, Spanish flag, black-eyed Susan vine, grass pea vine, and canary bird flower. There are many other types of annual vines you can grow, depending on your growing zone and landscaping needs. These vines will die back each year.
There are many types of annual vines that can be grown in a garden, each with its own unique characteristics. In this blog post, I will take a closer look at some of the most popular types of annual vines and their use in the garden.
What are the best types of annual vines to grow?
There are all kinds of annual vines you can grow in the garden. Some vines are climbers that will attach themselves to a support structure and grow quickly up to the sun, while others sprawl across the ground. Some have large leaves while others have small leaves. Some produce tubular flowers while others produce showy flowers. There is a vine for every gardening need!
Here are some of the best:
The cup and saucer vine are one of the best plants to grow as a vine. These vines have cream-colored blooms and are native to Mexico. There are also purple variations. Either one will grow up to 20 feet in height.
The Spanish flag has unusual two-tone colors in its flowers. These plants grow best by climbing and can cover a trellis that’s up to 15 feet tall. They grow well in full sun.
Black-eyed Susan is a popular flower you can grow in a perennial garden, but this flower is not actually the same thing. It is a vining plant with delicate white, orange, apricot, or gold petals. It can climb up to eight feet tall in a single growing season.
Grass pea is a plant that looks like grass but is actually a climbing vine. The plants only grow to about three feet tall, making them a great choice for containers.
Finally, the canary-bird flower is another great choice. This plant produces yellow blooms in the spring – and these flowers are actually edible. It grows up to 12 feet tall when properly trained.
What is an annual vine?
Annual vines are plants that climb upward and grow in a vertical fashion, rather than horizontal.
These plants usually use tendrils or a twining growth pattern to get to where they need to go.
These plants are usually easily propagated by seed, but many can also be grown from cuttings. Cuttings tend to root with ease and grow rapidly.
Are vines annuals or perennials?
Like other types of plants, vines can be either annual or perennial. We’ve listed some of the most popular annual vines for you above. If you’re interested in growing perennial vines, you might want to consider plants like:
- Hardy kiwi
- Trumpet vine
- Dutchman’s pipe
- American bittersweet
- English ivy
- Virginia creeper
- Boston ivy
- Climbing hydrangea
- Perennial sweet pea
What vines last all year?
There are several types of vines you can grow that last all (or most of) the year, depending on where you live. Some bloom and produce year-round color while others offer greenery throughout the seasons.
Popular flowering vines include Chinese wisteria (hardy in zones 5-8), chocolate vine (hardy in zones 4-9), Dropmore Scarlet honeysuckle (hardy in zones 3-8), and blue crown passionflower (hardy in zones 6-9).
If you’re only interested in the foliage, you might want to consider growing perennial vines that stay green year-round. Examples include the evergreen clematis (hardy in zones 7-9), trumpet vines (hardy in zones 9-11), and star jasmine (hardy in zones 8-11).
These vines are great choices if you want to cover a fence or wall, creating a screen even in the coldest parts of the year.
What are some fast-growing annual vines?
If you have a short growing season and want to get the most “bang for your buck” out of your annual vines, you should grow fast-maturing varieties.
Some of the fastest-growing annual vines include the Spanish flag, climbing snapdragon, cardinal climber, moonflower, sweet pea, and hyacinth bean. Morning glory, cypress vine, climbing nasturtium, and the cup and saucer vine are all relatively fast-maturing annual vines.
You’ll be able to see these plants grow quickly and flower long before you have to word about that first fall frost!
What is the fastest-growing perennial vine?
If you’d rather keep your vines around for the long haul, you should consider growing perennial vines. Some species of perennial vines seem to take forever to get established. Choose fast-growing alternatives instead.
One example is the chocolate vine. This plant grows so quickly that it needs regular, aggressive pruning in order to keep it under control. It is hardy in zones 4-8.
Another option is the trumpet creeper. Its growth will really creep up on you, to say the least! This plant produces clusters of red or orange trumpet-shaped flowers – pollinators love these! These plants grow so quickly and reliably that they can offer coverage for just about any type of surface.
Those two plants grow quite well in the sun, but if you’re looking for shade-tolerant vines that are perennial and grow quickly, you do still have options to choose from.
Some of the best are climbing hydrangeas, crossvine, and Carolina moonseed. If you live in a colder climate, consider growing American bittersweet or woodbine, both of which grow quickly and aggressively.
Final thoughts
Annual vines can be a beautiful addition to any garden. With a little bit of know-how, you can choose the right vine for your space and growing conditions, and then give it the care it needs to thrive.
These tips will help get you started on your way to adding some gorgeous annual vines to your landscape this year.
