The Best Vines for Wire Arches

Twining

• Twining plants have weak stems unable to support vertical growth without support. Upon contact, twining stems wrap themselves around wire or other structure. Small-stemmed flowering twiners for wire arches include chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) and Dutchman's pipe (Aristolchia macrophylla), which grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8, reaching 20 to 30 feet long. Both of these vines are deciduous; however, chocolate vine is semi-evergreen in mild winter locations. Dutchman's pipe grows in full sun to heavy shade. Chocolate vine grows in sun to partial shade. A prolific flowering vine, hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus) is a tender perennial that is grown as an annual except in USDA zones 10 and 11. Highly decorative, hyacinth bean has purple-tinged foliage, rose-colored pea-like flowers and 6-inch long purple seedpods. Evergreen in USDA zones 7 through 10, Carolina yellow jasmine (Gelsemium sempervirens) grows 10 to 20 feet long, blooming in late winter or early spring. It blooms in late winter or early spring with yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers.

Petioles

• Petioles are specialized plant parts that look like young leaf stalks. With characteristics of both twiners and tendril climbers, petiole climbers grow by wrapping this specialized part-- instead of its main stem, like twiners -- around slender supports. Wire arches, rather than wooden supports, work best for petiole climbers because of the smaller gauge of the structure. Potato vine (Solanum jasminoides) is an evergreen or semi-evergreen summer-blooming vine with blue or white flowers in USDA zones 8 through 10. One of the most popular petiole climbers is clematis (Clematis spp.), which is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 9 where it is a long-lived, spring-flowering, deciduous vine. Hybrid varieties of clematis are highly decorative and desirable. However, do not plant virgin's bower (Clematis orientalis) or old man's beard (Clematis vitalba) in areas of the country where they are considered invasive and on the state's noxious plant list.

Tendrils

• Tendril climbers put out fine projections from leaves or stems. When tendrils come in contact with small-gauge objects, they spiral around the object, anchoring the plant in its upward ascent. Arches with narrow spaces between wires are best for tendril climbers, which produce clinging projections that wrap around their own plant stems if a wire is not available. Sweet peas (Lathyrus odorata) fall into this category. A Mediterranean native, sweet peas are fast-growing annuals that grow best on a north- to south-facing trellis. Blue passionflowers (Passiflora caerula) also grow upward by use of tendrils. Perennial in USDA zones 6 through 9, blue passionflowers bloom summer to autumn on stems up to 30 feet long.

Considerations

• Mesh, such as coarse chicken wire, works well for tendril and petiole climbers, which require narrow spaces between structures for best support. When selecting a wire arch, look for narrow spaces, or add panels of chicken wire or other woven wire to your arch.