Hardy and Fast-Growing Evergreen Ornamental Vines

Fragrant Flowers

• Some evergreens have the added benefit of blooming with fragrant flowers. Carolina jasmine is hardy to 0 degrees and grows rapidly to 20 feet long. This evergreen has lustrous foliage that turns coppery in winter. A native, Carolina jasmine tolerates windy, dry and partially shaded sites. It blooms with aromatic yellow flowers in spring.
  Armand clematis (Clematis armandii) is hardy to 0 degrees. This evergreen’s foliage is lustrous and dark, but it is prized for its fragrant, white spring flowers. Armand clematis grows quickly to 25 feet and thrives in sun or partial shade.

Hummingbird Attractors

• If you want to attract hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators to your yard, plant vines that produce trumpet-shaped, red-to-orange flowers. The cross vine (Bignonia capreolata) is hardy to minus 10 degrees. It grows to 50 feet long and climbs with twining tendrils. This native evergreen blooms in spring with hummingbird-attracting, orange-red flowers. It thrives in sun to light shade and rich, well-draining soil. Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) grows rapidly to 25 feet, climbs by twining and is hardy to minus 10 degrees. A drought-tolerant vine, the trumpet honeysuckle attracts birds with its aromatic, red and yellow flowers. It grows best in moist soil and sun to partial shade.

Grown for Foliage

• While many vines are prized for their showy flowers, some are grown for their attractive foliage. Hardy to minus 10 degrees, the smilax (Smilax lanceolata) grows rapidly to 30 feet long. This twining vine has bright-green foliage and grows well in sun to shade.
  English ivy (Hedera helix) grows quickly to 50 feet and has glossy, evergreen foliage. It is hardy to minus 10 degrees and prefers partially to fully shaded sites with well-drained soil. Established plants tolerate drought.

Semi-Evergreens

• Semi-evergreen vines are evergreen when grown in warmer climates. The silver lace vine (Polygonum aubertii) is hardy to minus 30 degrees and grows quickly to 30 feet. A twining semi-evergreen, it tolerates pollution, drought, salt and severe pruning. Silver lace vines produce long-lasting, aromatic white blossoms from summer through autumn. Five-leaf akebia (Akebia quinata) grows quickly, reaching 40 feet long, and is hardy to minus 20 degrees. These semi-evergreens bloom in spring with red-purple, aromatic flowers and have attractive clustering foliage. They grow well in sun to partial shade and well-draining soil.