19 Best Climbing Perennial Vines for Arbors, Trellises, and More

Climbing perennials are flowering vines that come back every year, adding vertical interest and privacy to your garden or backyard. Adorning your pergolas, fences, trellises, and arbors with bright beauty, these climbing plants come in many types—from twining vines, to hook climbers, to leaf climbers, to root climbers, to tendrils.

Some varieties even stay green all year. Be sure to choose the right type of climbing perennial based on your overall environment, the growing conditions in your planting area, and the structure on which you intend your vine to climb. Note that perennial vines will get larger and fuller over time, so choose structures that can support that growth for years to come. 

Whether you are looking for a plant to climb a trellis or arch over a doorway, these are the top climbing perennials for your space.

Clematis (Clematis spp.)

Out of the roughly 300 species of profusely blooming plants in the Clematis genus, most are climbing vines. The climbers that are most popular with gardeners include dramatic hybrids 'Jackmanii 'and 'Nelly Moser', the dainty 'Betty Corning', or the robust sweet autumn clematis.

Wire your plant to a trellis as it begins to climb, then let the twining plant weave through on its own. Besides evergreen varieties like C. armandii, most are deciduous, so consider leaf loss during placement.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 11 (varies by species)
• Color Varieties: White, pink, purple, red, bicolor
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and medium-moisture, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 3-15 ft. long, 3-20 ft. wide

Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris)

Climbing hydrangea can grow tall if they have a wall, fence, or large tree for its aerial rootlets to cling to. Unlike other aerial-rooting plants, climbing hydrangea grows slowly enough that controlling it is not very difficult.

This is a good plant for shady locations, and it will tolerate full sun only if the soil is kept very moist. The flowers bear a resemblance to those of shrub hydrangeas, and the dried flower heads and peeling bark give the plant good winter interest.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
• Color Varieties: White
• Growing conditions: Partial to full shade and rich, moist, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 30-50 ft. tall, 5-6 ft. wide

Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata)

Chocolate vine is an April bloomer that produces spicy-scented, brownish-purple blossoms that hang like pendants. Even after the flowers fade, the semi-evergreen foliage of the vine remains attractive with lush, oblong leaves usually grouped in leaflets of five as it grows along a support structure.

Investigate before planting it because the fast growth rate of these twining vines has categorized it as an invasive plant in some areas.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
• Color Varieties: Brown/purple, white
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade and moist, well-drained, sandy or loamy soil
• Mature Size: 15–30 ft. long, 1–2 ft. wide

Hardy Kiwi Vine (Actinidia arguta or Actinidia kolomikta)

A cold-hardy relative of the plant that produces supermarket kiwis, hardy kiwi vine is grown for its distinctive foliage, with flowers that are small and produce a fragrance similar to lily of the valley.

There are two species that are called hardy kiwi vine: Actinidia kolomikta has variegated foliage, while Actinidia arguta is a less vigorous grower. The plants have a twining growth habit and need a sturdy support structure for vertical growth.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 9
• Color Varieties: Green foliage; purple and pink highlights on Actinidia kolomikta
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and medium moisture, well-drained, loamy soil
• Mature Size: 25-30 ft. tall, 7-20 ft. wide

Purple Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata)

Purple passionflower or Maypop is a semi-woody vine with large serrated leaves that clings to supports with tendrils. These vines are prized for their complex and exotic-looking flowers, and many cultivars are available in a variety of colors. The can be kept in pots to overwinter the plants indoors in cooler climates.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9
• Color Varieties: White, pink, red
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and rich, moist, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 10–30 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

Trumpet vine is a native Southeastern U.S. plant that climbs via aerial roots, with its summer flowers beloved by hummingbirds and butterflies. But it can easily become an aggressive grower and, in some areas, is considered invasive.

Because trumpet vines can get quite woody and grow extremely long, their weight requires strong support. They also need pruning to keep them flowering at their best and to control their spread.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
• Color Varieties: Orange, red, yellow
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 30–40 ft. tall, 4–10 ft. wide

Climbing Roses (Rosa spp.)

Climbing roses are actually varieties of large rose shrubs, like 'New Dawn', 'Don Juan', and 'Lady Banks,' with long canes (stems) that are trained to grow up a trellis or other support structure. Once you have the trellis in place, simply tie the canes to the structure with strips of cloth as they grow, gently bending them to cover them.

Try not to prune the plant until the canes have grown long enough to cover your structure unless you need to remove a misshapen, broken, or diseased portion.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 10 (varies by species)
• Color Varieties: Pink, red, white, yellow, orange, purple
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 6-12 ft. tall, 1-6 ft. wide

Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

Star jasmine is a twining flowering vine that produces fragrant blooms in the late spring to early summer. Its long, oval, dark green leaves make the vine an excellent ground cover, but it also can grow up trellises and other structures.

In cooler climates, it can be grown in a container and overwintered indoors, though some gardeners prefer to grow it as an annual and start fresh the next season.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 10
• Color Varieties: White
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and loamy, medium-moisture, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 18-20 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide

Mandevilla (Mandevilla spp.)

Also known as rocktrumpet, Mandevilla is a genus of tropical and subtropical flowering vines. They produce five-petaled flowers that are often large and fragrant, alongside glossy green foliage. These fast-growing vines need lots of moisture to stay healthy, along with a sturdy support structure. They also grow well in hanging baskets.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11
• Color Varieties: Pink, red, white
• Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 3–10 ft. tall, 3–4 ft. wide

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)

Bougainvillea is a genus of woody tropical vines with brightly colored clusters of flowers. The vines can be trained to grow in a shrub form as well as around support structures. But be careful when working with them, as these vines do contain thorns. In cooler climates, they should be overwintered indoors.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
• Color Varieties: Pink, purple, red, white, orange, yellow
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 15-40 ft. tall, 10-20 ft. wide

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

Moonflower is a perennial flowering vine whose sweetly fragrant blooms open at night, then close again for the day come morning. These fast-growing vines can easily spread as a ground cover or grow on a support structure.

They can be difficult to overwinter indoors, so if you live outside their growing zones you might want to treat them as an annual and start with a fresh plant each year. The seeds are easy to collect and start indoors for the new season.  

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 12
• Color Varieties: White, purple
• Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
• Mature size: 10–15 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide

Cape Honeysuckle (Tecoma capensis)

Cape honeysuckle can be trained both as a vine and a shrub, depending on your garden preferences. It will grow more robustly as a vine. Its bright, tubular flowers produce a sweet nectar that’s known to attract hummingbirds.

As a vine, pruning maintenance is fairly straightforward: Simply clip away any damaged, dead, or diseased portions, along with stems that are difficult to train on your support structure.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
• Color Varieties: Orange, red
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and average, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 3-30 ft. tall, 7-10 ft. wide

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Japanese honeysuckle is a robust flowering vine with a long blooming period and fragrant flowers. In some areas, it is considered invasive due to its vigorous growth, so be sure to check locally whether you can plant it. The vine twines easily around support structures. Prune after the plant is done flowering to keep its size in check.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
• Color Varieties: White, yellow
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and loamy, moist, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 15-50 ft. long, 3-6 ft. wide

Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)

Black-eyed Susan vine sports flowers that look similar to the popular black-eyed Susans, but in climbing-vine form. It stays fairly small in size, which makes the vine ideal for hanging baskets and other containers. If you live outside of the plant’s growing zones, you can overwinter it in containers indoors.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11
• Color Varieties: Yellow, orange, red, pink, white
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and rich, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 3–8 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide

Cup and Saucer Vine (Cobaea scandens)

Cup and saucer vine is a vigorous climbing vine that can quickly form a living privacy screen on a support structure with its lush bright green foliage. The vine’s cup-shaped flowers develop a sweet fragrance as they open. If you attach this vine to a support structure when it’s young, it won’t need much more help than that to continue to wind itself around the structure. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
• Color Varieties: Purple, white
• Growing Conditions: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 10–20 ft. long, 3–6 ft. wide

Bleeding Heart Vine (Clerodendrum thomsoniae)

Bleeding heart vine is an evergreen twining vine with showy white flowers that have red accents. The vine can easily climb around a support structure. Keeping the soil consistently moist but not soggy is key for growing these vines as well as fertilizing regularly throughout the growing season. 

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 12
• Color Varieties: White with red
• Growing Conditions: Partial shade and moist, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 15 ft. tall, 5 ft. wide

Snail Vine/ Corkscrew Vine (Cochliasanthus caracalla)

Snail vine is a twining, perennial flowering vine that grows fast in climates without frost. Its fragrant blooms are said to resemble the curled shell of a snail and spiral around the vine like a corkscrew. Regular light pruning to get rid of dead or scraggly portions will help to keep the vines healthy and robust. Use a sturdy support structure.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 12
• Color Varieties: Pink, purple, white
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and rich, moist well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 12-30 ft. tall, 3-6 ft. wide

Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas)

Sweet potato vine comes from the same family as edible sweet potatoes, but it is grown for its ornamental value. It features long tendrils that spill over the sides of containers, wind around support structures or creep across the ground. Frequent light pruning will help to keep the vine looking tidy and healthy.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11
• Color Varieties: Medium green foliage
• Sun Exposure: Full sun and moist, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 8–10 ft. long, 5–12 in. wide

Snapdragon Vine (Maurandya scandens)

Snapdragon vines aren’t related to the typical garden snapdragons, though their trumpet-shaped summer blooms resemble each other. A favorite of hummingbirds, these vines stay relatively small and can grow as ground cover, in hanging baskets, and up supports. If you’re using a support structure choose one that’s thin, as the slender flowering vines can have trouble winding around thick posts.

• USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 10
• Color Varieties: Pink, blue, purple, white
• Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade and rich, loamy, well-drained soil
• Mature Size: 6-9 ft. tall, 3-6 ft. wide