9 Native Vines In Virginia (Photos & Care Tips)
Adding vines to your garden or other outdoor area is a great way to make it look better. In Virginia, there are a variety of native vines that not only thrive in the local climate but also produce stunning flowers.
From the delicate flowers of the trumpet creeper to the highly fragrant yellow jessamine, these 9 native vines in Virginia will add a touch of elegance to any outdoor space.
1. Yellow Jessamine
- Scientific Name: Gelsemium sempervirens
- Common Name: Yellow or Carolina Jessamine
- Mature Height: 12-36 ft.
- Flowers: Yellow Tubular
- Blooming Season: March-May, December
Yellow or Carolina Jessamine, is a tough and versatile plant. If left to its own, it will climb trees, scramble over fences and structures, or form a mound of tangled stems.
It is one of the most commonly seen vines in Virginia household gardens. It grows to a height of 12–36 feet and produces 1-1.5-inch-long, yellow tubular flowers in March–May and December. It does best in humus-rich, well-drained soils like sandy or clay, and prefers full sun but will also grow in partial shade.
Hammocks, forests, fence rows, and thickets are all part of its typical environment. It can withstand extreme temperatures, and its fragrant flowers attract hummingbirds and swallowtail butterflies. In addition, it is deer tolerant as well.
Even though every part of the plant is poisonous, it doesn’t have many problems with pests or diseases.
2. Crossvine
- Scientific Name: Bignonia capreolata
- Common Name: Crossvine
- Mature Height: 36-50 ft.
- Flowers: Two-tone all red or red and orange, trumpet-shaped
- Blooming Season: March-May
Bignonia capreolata, also known as Crossvine, is a lovely evergreen perennial vine. It reaches heights of 36–50 feet and blooms from March to May with 2-inch-wide trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of red and orange. Full sun is ideal, but the plant can tolerate partial shade.
It can survive in chilly climates and grow in a variety of soil types, including acidic, calcareous, sandy, and clay. It lives in wet and marshy places as well as dry upland forests and rocky woods in its natural environment. Hummingbirds and butterflies can get nectar from the flowers.
The tendrils of crossvine have sharp claws at their tips, allowing the plant to securely cling to bare surfaces like stone, brick, pergolas, and fences. Its normally green leaves change to a dark purple from autumn to spring.
3. Trumpet Creeper
- Scientific Name: Campsis radicans
- Common Name: Trumpet Creeper
- Mature Height: Up to 35 ft
- Flowers: Red, orange, yellow
- Blooming Season: June-September
The Trumpet Creeper, or Campsis radicans, is an invasive woody vine that can grow as high as 35 feet and rapidly cover everything in its path via aerial rootlets.
It is considered as a soil stabilizer and grows fuller and has more flowers if you cut it back in the winter to just two buds. It blooms from June to September with vibrant 3- to 5-inch-tall flowers in reds, oranges, and yellows.
This plant does well in full sun and tolerates dry conditions by growing in sandy, loamy, or clay soils with good drainage. Its natural habitat consists of damp woods or fence rows of abandoned fields.
Hummingbirds and long-tongue bees feed on its nectar, and the Plebeian sphinx moth uses it as a food source (Paratraea plebeja).
4. Climbing Hydrangea
- Scientific Name: Decumaria barbara
- Common Name: Climbing Hydrangea
- Mature Height: 12-36 ft.
- Flowers: White
- Blooming Season: May-October
The deciduous Hydrangea vine can grow anywhere from 12 to 36 feet in height. In fact, this is one of the highest-growing vines in Virginia.
Butterflies and some species of skipper use the plant as a host, and its white flowers bloom between May and October. It does well in acidic, rich, moist soils.
Partial shade is fine. Climbing hydrangeas are native to moist, low-lying areas like marshes and riverbanks. It’s multipurpose nature means it can be planted as a ground cover, trained to climb trees, or used to conceal ledges and rock faces.
It prefers wet conditions and blooms only when trained as a climber or on fresh wood.
5. Coral Honeysuckle
- Scientific Name: Lonicera sempervirens
- Common Name: Trumpet or Coral Honeysuckle
- Mature Height: 3-20 ft
- Flowers: Red, sometimes Yellow
- Blooming Season: March-July
Lonicera sempervirens, also known as Trumpet or Coral Honeysuckle, is a beautiful evergreen vine that can grow to be 3 to 20 feet tall. It has red, sometimes yellow, tubular flowers that bloom in abundance from March to July.
The flowers are followed by berries that are bright red. For the best blooming, the vine prefers full sun, but it can also tolerate part sun or shade.
It is a hardy plant that can withstand most soil conditions as well as brief periods of poor drainage. It can be found in a variety of natural habitats, including arbours, and it is also resistant to deer.
Flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies, while fruits attract the Purple Finch, Goldfinch, Hermit Thrush, and American Robin.
6. Virginia Creeper
- Scientific Name: Parthenocissus quinquefolia
- Common Name: Virginia Creeper
- Mature Height: 3-40 ft.
- Flowers: Yellowish-green
- Blooming Season: May-June
Virginia creeper, also known as Parthenocissus quinquefolia, is a climbing plant that, depending on the structure it is clinging to, can reach heights of 3 to 40 feet.
Yellowish-green flowers appear in May and June and are followed by red berries that later become mauve and then black.
It prefers some to all sunlight and may grow in either basic or acidic soil. Its natural habitats include woodlands, open spaces, by streams, and on riverbanks, among others.
Although the berries are a favorite food of songbirds, they can be poisonous to people. Birds can hide behind the Virginia Creeper’s foliage, which also supports 32 native caterpillar species, including the Virginia Creeper Moth.
7. Purple Passionvine
- Scientific Name: Passiflora incarnata
- Common Name: Maypop, Purple Passionvine
- Mature Height: 6-30 ft.
- Flowers: Lavender
- Blooming Season: April-September
The beautiful vine Passiflora incarnata, which is also called Maypop or Purple Passionvine, can grow up to 30 feet high.
In the months of April through September, it blooms with scented, 3-inch lavender flowers. The sun is ideal for this plant, yet it can also thrive in partial shade. It prefers sandy, non-saline, rich clay, and moist soils.
Large greenish-yellow berries with edible pulp make up the Maypop’s fruits, which are found on fields, roadsides, and the edges of forests. This vine looks great growing on columns, walls, fences, and arbours.
The hollow, yellow fruits that loudly pop when crushed are the source of the term “Maypop.” It can be stopped by mowing or getting rid of the root suckers that help it spread quickly. Five species of caterpillars live on the plant, and the blossoms draw local bees.
8. American Wisteria
- Scientific Name: Wisteria frutescens
- Common Name: American Wisteria
- Mature Height: 25-30 ft.
- Flowers: Lilac or Bluish Purple
- Blooming Season: April-May
American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is a deciduous plant that can grow to 30 feet. It is considered a shrub as well as a vine.
From April to May, it produces highly fragrant rlilac or blueish purple flowers. It prefers loamy soil in a south or southwest-facing location and moist, rich soil with a neutral to slightly acidic pH.
It inhabits moist woodlands, riverbanks, and highland thickets. Its fragrant 9-inch blossoms are huge. It attracts butterflies and hosts various skipper species, unlike the invasive Asian wisteria.
9. Virgin’s Bower
- Scientific Name: Clematis virginiana
- Common Name: Virgin’s Bower
- Mature Height: 12-15 ft
- Flowers: White
- Blooming Season: July-September
Clematis virginiana, also known as Virgin’s Bower, is a deciduous vine that grows to 12 to 15 feet in height.
It produces clusters of creamy white flowers from July to September, which later turn into showy sprays of silky seeds that glisten in the sunlight.
This plant thrives in a wide range of environments, from full sun to full shade, and from moist to dry, rich soils. It attracts hummingbirds and butterflies and is native to woods, thickets, and stream banks.
Virgin’s Bower, unlike other vines, does not require tendrils to climb because it can support itself with twisted petioles that wrap around other plants. These stems can grow up to 20 feet in a year and can be pruned at any time of year.
But be careful with this plant because it is poisonous and can irritate your skin if you touch it. If you burn it, the smoke it makes is also poisonous.
Native Vines In Virginia – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In this section, I’ll answer some of the most common questions people ask about native vines in Virginia.
What are the invasive vines in Virginia?
Japanese knotweed, English ivy, Asian wisteria, Trumpet Creeper, and kudzu are some of the most common invasive vines in Virginia. These vines grow quickly and can easily take over native plants, which is bad for ecosystems and wildlife. Most of these plants are not native to Virginia but naturalized.
Is Virginia creeper poisonous?
Virginia Creeper is considered to be moderately poisonous. Some people with very sensitive skin can get skin irritations and rashes from the plant’s sap, and the berries have a lot of oxalic acid, which is toxic to both people and dogs.
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Sources
The Regional Gardening team makes sure that the information in our articles is accurate by only using sources that are known to be trustworthy. Some of these sources are peer-reviewed journals from government agencies, well-known universities, and scientific research organizations.
- The Virginia Department of Forestry
- The Virginia Cooperative Extension
- Virginia Native Plant Society
- The US Forest Service
- Virginia Natural Heritage Program
- Virginia Tech Dendrology
