Trailing Plants
and Climbing Vines

This list of basket-worthy and vertically growing plants is a supplement to BLI's Hanging Garden These plants can be grown in containers or trained on walls and other structures.

Upright plants

Tuberous begonia (Begonia x tuberhybrida)
12 to 18 inches tall and wide Large flowers in red, pink, orange, yellow, white and in bicolors. Spring through summer Lift tubers in fall and store; replant in spring.

Purple Shamrocks (Oxalis purpurea)
10 inches tall and wide Large purple leaves and white or pink flowers. Spring Grown for its foliage.

Caladium (Caladium x hortulanum)
12 to 30 inches tall and wide Arrow-shaped leaves patterned in red, pink, white and green. Grown for colorful summer foliage Keep evenly moist, fertilize frequently.

Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides)
1 to 3 feet tall and wide Leaf color mixtures include magenta, red, copper, orange, yellow, chartreuse and green. Pinch off flower spikes Most cultivars grow best in shade or part shade.

Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
Polka Dot Plant a tough 12-inch high plant pink or white speckles on green leaves and pink or white flowers.

Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana)
a 6 to thrirty-six inch tall, spring-to-autumn bloomning plant available in almost every color.

Moss Rose (Portulaca grandiflora)
This plant, 12 to 18 inches wide, comes in a variety of colors in single and double flowers and blooms all summer.

Dusty Miller (Senecio cineraria)
6 to 12 inches tall and wide Soft, finely cut whitish-silver leaves. Foliage color from spring until frost Excellent foliage contrast.

Gazania (Gazania rigens)
6 to 12 inches tall and wide Daisy-like yellow, orange, pink or red flowers. All summer Good choice for hot, dry locations.
Geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum), French Marigold (Tagetes patula), and pansy (Viola x wittrockiana) also work well. Trailing plants and vines for planters Fuchsia (Fuchsia cultivars)
2 to 3 foot wide trailing Drooping tear-shaped buds open to flouncy interiors Flowers in red, pink, purple, coral, white and combinations. Spring through summer Keep evenly moist. Flowering will slow in heat

Variegated Periwinkle or Vinca (Vinca major ‘Variegata’)
6 inches tall by 3 to 4 feet wide White-edged or lime-centered green leaves on trailing stems. Blue flowers, spring; grown for foliage Excellent foliage contrast.

Annual Vinca (Catharanthus roseus) 6 to 24 inches tall White, pink, rose, lavender, purple, red or salmon. Early summer to frost. Very heat and drought tolerant.

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)
Climbs or trails up to 10 feet. Tiny brilliant red flowers above delicate fern-like foliage. Summer to frost Very tough despite delicate appearance.

Creeping Zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens)
6 inches tall and at least 2 feet wide Tiny, golden, daisylike flowers. Summer to frost Not suited for coastal climate. Great in hot, dry areas.

Fan Flower (Scaveola aemula)
6 inches tall by 4 feet wide Blue or white flowers on long trailing branches. Prolific from spring until frost Very heat and drought tolerant.

Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevidensis)
6 to 12 inches tall by 3 to 4 feet wide Lavender or white flowers on trailing stems. All summer Tolerates hot, dry windy conditions.

Petunia (Petunia hybrida)
4 to 12 inches tall by 24 to 48 inches wide Virtually all colors are available. All summer Require ample moisture and fertility to thrive. Trailing cultivars are excellent in baskets.

Wallflower (Erysimum or Cheiranthus species)
6 to 24 inches tall and wide Cream, yellow, orange, purple and maroon. Spring to early summer Plant in the fall for spring flowering.

Licorice Plant (Helichrysum petiolare)
6 to 12 inches tall, 3 to 4 feet wide Trailing plant with fuzzy round leaves that are silver gray, variegated or lime green. Foliage color all summer Used as contrasting foliage. Very tolerant of hot, dry weather.

Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
4 to 8 inches tall by 1 foot wide Honey-scented flowers are white, pink, rose or purple. Late spring until frost Alyssum may decline in midsummer. Shear, feed and water to rejuvenate.

Lotus Vine (Lotus berthelotii)
6 to 8 inches tall by 3 to 4 feet wide Feathery foliage on gray trailing vines followed by bright red flowers Late summer Likes hot, dry weather.

Verbena (Verbena x hybrida)
6 to 12 inches tall, 12 to 24 inches wide Red, purple, pink and white flowers on bushy or spreading plants. Mid spring until frost Thrives in hot weather.

Ivy-Leafed Geranium (Pelargonium peltatum)
1 foot tall by 3 to 4 feet wide Colors range from white to pink, salmon and red. Branches trail like vines. All summer Best with some afternoon shade.

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus)
Vines up to 6 feet, bush types 1 to 2 feet tall Fragrant, colorful flowers. Bush types are suitable for window boxes. Spring Sweet Peas grow best under cool conditions. Plant in late winter for early spring bloom. Plant at Christmas on the coast.

Vegetables and herbs

For hanging salads, grow leaf lettuce, parsley and miniature tomatoes. Herbs thrive in containers and require little care. Thyme, oregano and rosemary are good for containers because they like the soil to dry out between waterings. parsley Ornamental Pepper sweet potato vinesYou can even create an edible hanging basket, using a combination of herbs, grape tomatoes, lettuce, and even strawberries. Capsicum annuum produces peppers in a range of color from yellow to orange or red and purple to near black and grows from 1 to 21 feet tall and wide. Because the fruit are extremely hot, they're considered ornamental, but they are edible. Many plants normally grown as houseplants will be great for foliage in outdoor containers also.

Vines for walls and other structures

Heliotrope (Heliotropum arborescens)
12 to 36 inches tall and wide Scented purple or lavender blooms in clusters. All summer The species is more sweetly scented and larger than modern cultivars.

Clamatis
These range from rampant vines with huge, flat blossoms to tidy bell flowered perennials. Most have 3 to 5 (or more) parted, long-stalked leaves with roughly oval, pointed and often toothed leaflets. The flowers have petal-like sepals in place of true petals, and a distinctive brush of stamens at their centers. Interesting puffs of silky-tailed seeds develop as the flowers wither. Those listed below are winter deciduous unless otherwise noted. Hardy to 0oF. or below, except as noted.

Wisteria (Wisteria sp.)
The wisteria are vigorous twining vines that grow to 25 or 30 feet and bloom in long, pendant clusters of violet-blue flowers. are best when trained horizontally on a wire or structure 10 to 20 feet above the ground. The vines are excellent for use on open-structured roofs over patios and terraces.

Passiflora
Often massive vines with large lobed, often shiny leaves are quite decorative, but they are especially prized for their large blossoms. grown but beloved by various caterpillars (especially that of t he beautiful Gulf fritillary), whitefly, and mites.

Jasiminum
A large group of shrubs and woody vines, valued for both foliage and flowers.

Bittersweet (Celastrus sp.)
Two types of bittersweet commonly grown for ornamental use in the garden are the native plant American bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculata). The American bittersweet is a vigorous vine that grows 10 to 20 feet tall and climbs by means of twining stems. It will thrive in almost any soil or exposure except a wet, boggy situation. Bittersweet is planted mainly for its attractive fruit, a favorite in dried arrangements. Reddish-yellow fruit capsules open in early autumn to expose red-orange berries. The fruits are grouped in terminal clusters, which make them conspicuous before the leaves fall.

English ivy (Hedera helix)
English ivy is a handsome evergreen vine, climbing by attaching itself to rough surfaces by very short aerial rootlets. It may attain a height of 20 to 50 feet. The rich, leathery, dark shiny leaves hold their color all winter if protected from winter sun and wind. North- or east-facing walls are the most satisfactory locations.

Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle (Lonicera sp.) Only a few climbing honeysuckles are generally available and suitable for landscape use. Most widespread are Hall's honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica 'Halliana,' and Scarlet trumpet honeysuckle, Lonicera semperivirens. The semivining Everblooming honeysuckle, Lonicera heckrotti, and the Sweet honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium, are also sometimes available. Hall's honeysuckle is a semievergreen vine with wiry stems that climb 20 to 30 feet by twining, or that form a groundcover by rooting at the joints. It is a rampant vine that easily grows out of bounds.

Kiwi (Actinidia arguta)
The fruits of hardy kiwi are smaller and smooth-skinned. Kiwis are vigorous vines that will need strong support. Once vines are established, they may grow as much as 20 feet a year. A fairly high trellis is needed to support them, usually very wide and up to 6 or 7 feet so fruit can be picked easily.

Silver fleece flower (Polygonum aubertii)
This vine, which is sometimes called silver-lace vine, produces clusters of small white to greenish-white flowers in August and September. The small white flowers turn pinkish at maturity and remain effective for a long time.

Trumpet-creeper (Campsis radicans)
Common trumpet-creeper is a deciduous, robust vine that climbs by both aerial rootlets and twining stems. Growing to a height of 25 to 30 feet, this vine is useful for rustic effects on fence posts, walls, poles or rockwork. Brilliant orange and scarlet, 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 inches long, trumpet-shaped flowers are very showy from July through September

Virginia creeper or Woodbine (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
Virginia creeper is a native, deciduous vine that climbs both by means of tendrils with adhesive disks which adhere to brick, stone or tree trunks, and by aerial rootlets which attach only to rough surfaces. It grows 30 to 50 feet tall and has a loose, open growth pattern. The leaves of Virginia creeper are five-parted and stand out on slender, drooping side branches. They open as a purplish color in the spring, remain dull, deep green throughout the summer and turn brilliant scarlet or crimson before dropping in the fall months. Virginia creeper is one of the first of all woody plants to display fall color. Its conspicuous greenish flowers develop into clusters of bluish-black, pea-sized berries in September and October. The berries either fall before winter or are eaten by birds after the leaves drop.

Wintercreeper euonymus (Euonymus fortunei)
Wintercreeper euonymus is a handsome evergreen vine growing to 15 to 20 feet. This shrubby vine climbs by means of aerial rootlets. It attaches to any upright support or roots on the soil surface to form a near mat.

Boston ivy or Japanese creeper (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)
Boston ivy or Japanese creeper is one of the best vines for covering large masonry buildings quickly. It is a fast-growing, close-clinging vine that climbs by means of adhesive disks. The vine is tolerant to many soil types and grows in full sunlight or in shade. Boston ivy grows to a height of 50 to 60 feet. Its green leaves stand out and overlap on long stalks. Leaves turn rich tones of scarlet, orange or purple in the fall. The new growth in spring is reddish bronze