The Best Flowering Creeping Vine

Sarsaparilla Plant

• Among the best creeping, flowering vines is the sarsaparilla plant (Smilax hispada), a vine capable of growing between U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8. Native to the Southeast, sarsaparilla plant provides protection against erosion when grown on slopes and banks. The vine matures to between 20 and 40 feet, growing best in damp areas where it will form dense thickets. The sarsaparilla plant flowers during May and June, with the blooms being shades of green. The green foliage has a heart shape and the stems develop prickles, notes the Missouri Botanical Garden's website. Wildlife use this vine for cover and the young foliage and shoots are edible for animals and people.

Porcelain Vine

• While the flowers of the porcelain vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) are not exceptionally showy, they yield berries that make up for that. The green flowers bloom during July into August, resulting in ¼-inch wide fruits that take on a porcelain blue shade when ripe in the fall. Porcelain vine grows to 25 feet and has the capability of growing in sandy or rocky areas, as long as the ground drains well. Porcelain vine grows in sun or shade, another benefit of this species native to northeastern sections of Asia. Porcelain vines will creep along the ground and cover unsightly rock piles or old stumps.

Virginia Creeper

• Green-white flowers, black berries and colorful fall foliage that turns purple and red are the features of Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) that endear this vine to landscapers. Able to grow along the ground, Virginia creeper sometimes achieves 50 feet in length. The species has compound leaves up to 5 inches long that take on a dark green shade. This vine's range extends through the eastern United States well into Mexico, allowing its use from zones 3 through 9. Virginia creeper will grow in full shade, expanding the number of settings where you use it.

Trumpet Creeper

• Growing a trumpet creeper vine (Campis radicans) on the ground in the shade often limits the plant's flowering ability. In full sun, the trumpet creeper turns out many trumpet-shaped, orange-red flowers from July through the remainder of summer. Able to grow in zones 4 through 9, trumpet creeper grows wild in the southeastern states. The vine expands between 5 and 10 feet as it reaches lengths from 25 to 40 feet. Among the easiest vines to grow, trumpet creeper will take over an area if you fail to trim it back. Trumpet creeper serves to attract hummingbirds with its conspicuous flowers, and the species handles hot, dry areas of your property.