White Flowering Vines Native to Georgia

American Wisteria

• American wisteria's (Wisteria frutescens) fragrant flowers appear in the late spring in 2- to-4-inch-long clusters. Although flowers are usually lavender blue, some cultivars, such as Nivea, have white flowers. Leaves are shiny and dark-green. It does best in moist, fertile soil in sun or shade. It grows up to 30 feet tall. American wisteria is not as invasive as oriental varieties and is attractive to many butterfly species.

Virgin's Bower

• Virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana) is also known as the devil's darning needles or old man's beard. It looks very similar to sweet autumn clematis (C. terniflora or paniculata), a nonnative variety. The leaves on virgin's bower have jagged teeth, while sweet autumn clematis has rounded leaves. White flowers are very showy and appear from July to September. It grows up to 20 feet long and can be planted in sun or shade. It prefers moist, rich soils.

Climbing Hydrangea

• The climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara) is a deciduous, woody vine that attaches with rootlets. Its fragrant white flowers grow in small clusters about 2 to 4 inches wide. Flowers bloom from May until October. Leaves are smooth and shiny. It grows in partial shade in moist, acidic soil. It grows up to 40 feet long and can be used as a climbing vine or as ground cover.

Virginia Creeper

• The Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is a deciduous vine that can grow up to 50 feet long. Although it looks similar to poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Virginia creeper has five leaves rather than three. Its leaves turn a brilliant scarlet red in the fall. It attaches using tendrils with adhesive tips, which means it won't damage surfaces the way some other vines will. It tolerates most conditions from full sun to shade and prefers a moist, well-draining soil. White flowers bloom from May to June and eventually turn into a blue berry eaten by birds and wildlife.