Climbing Vines and Ivy for Homes

USDA Zones 3 and 4

• One of the Virginia creeper's (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) best features is its ability to climb a wall in sun or shade in USDA zones 3 and 4. Growing to lengths of 50 feet, Virginia creeper covers a wall by holding onto its surface with suction cup-like tendrils that grab hold and secure the plant. Its foliage turns red and purple come autumn, when its berries ripen to blue shades. Wisteria macrostachya "Blue Moon" is a form of Kentucky wisteria that is suitable for the walls of terraces, sturdy arbors and pergolas. This vine's blue flowers emerge in June. Blue Moon grows to 25 feet and its flowers yield 5-inch-long seed pods that add interest over the winter.

USDA Zones 5 and 6

• English ivy, Hederas helix, needs shady walls to thrive. Train it onto your home in zones 5 and 6 and watch it cover the whole side of your house. It is evergreen, native to Europe and parts of Asia and generates green flowers and blackish fruits. Bignonia capreolata "Atrosanguinea" has what the Missouri Botanical garden terms "spectacular" flowering effect during May and June. This is a 15- to 30-foot vine appropriate for walls, with dark red purple flowers. For the best flowering effect, plant this vine on the sunny side of your house.

USDA Zones 7 and 8

• Boston ivy, Parthenocissus tricuspidata, grows into zones 7 and 8, but not in those zones warmer than these are. Boston ivy covers walls with its dark green leaves; the foliage turns scarlet before falling off in autumn. Boston ivy tolerates poor growing conditions, but its clinging tendrils can result in damage to masonry over time. Bullock's heart ivy, Hedera colchica "Dentata Variegata," features the largest leaves of any type of ivy. This vine has heart-shaped foliage to 10 inches long, possessing variegated edges. It not only climbs walls, it grows in containers, hanging baskets or as groundcover.

USDA Zones 9 and 10

• Fragrant flowers with violet petals adorn Passiflora "Incense" during July and August. Growing between 6 and 10 feet, it is a good option to cover sheds. Incense yields an edible fruit shaped like an egg. Use it in the warmth of USDA zones 9 and 10. The pale blue fruits of the porcelain vine (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata) are easily its most identifiable feature. This vine works in shade or sun as well as in rocky or sandy soils. Train it onto a wall; it grows to 20 feet high and spreads out just as wide.