Climbing and vine plants can turn many vertical surfaces into a beautiful green landscape. To use trellises or walls, you should plant some fantastic vining plants. We've compiled a list of some of the top climbing and vine plants that can thrive in the USDA Hardiness Zone 5.
Here are ten spectacular vines and climbing plants:
- Climbing Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
- Scarlet Clematis (Clematis texensis)
- Wild Morning Glory (Calystegia sepium)
- Climbing Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei)
- Everglades Morning Glory (Ipomoea sagittata)
- Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius)
- Common Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
- American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)
- Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)
- Summer Grape (Vitis aestivalis)
As you can see, there are several options for climbing plants that will survive winter temperatures in Zone 5. Each of these plants is unique and requires different soils and sunlight to thrive. Keep reading to learn more about to care for these beautiful plants.
Zone 5 Vine and Climbing Plants
1. Climbing Bittersweet
The Climbing or American Bittersweet is a woody, twining vine. It is a rapid grower and can easily reach heights up to 25 feet. Climbing bittersweet plants grow best in areas that receive full sunlight. They can adapt to several different soil conditions.
These plants produce greenish-white, orange, or yellow flowers, which are on view from May until June. The star-shaped flowers are small and tend to grow in clusters.
In the fall and winter, the climbing bittersweet has orange and red fruits. These fruits are great for birds.
It's important to handle this plant with care. Several parts of climbing bittersweet are poisonous to humans, cats, dogs, and horses. This plant can also become weedy and overtake other plants in your garden.
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2. Scarlet Clematis
The scarlet clematis is a poisonous deciduous vine. You should handle this plant with care because its leaves and sap cause contact dermatitis and are toxic to humans and pets.
These plants produce flowers in the fall and summer. Scarlet clematis blooms are yellow, orange, pink, purple, and lavender. The flowers are bell-shaped and can have between four and eight petal parts.
You should plant the scarlet clematis in areas with partial shade and dappled sun. These plants do best in neutral to alkaline soil that is either loamy, sandy, or shallow rocky. One benefit to this plant is its drought tolerance and deer resistance.
3. Wild Morning Glory
Wild morning glory or hedge bindweed plants are plants that are beneficial for both their looks and their contribution to local wildlife. These plants are considered larval plant hosts as well as wildlife cover.
The blooms from this plant are also perfect for attracting pollinators. Also, the pink, purple, or white flowers show up in the spring or as late as fall. The funnel-shaped blooms have between four and five petals and only last for one day.
Unfortunately, the wild morning glory is labeled an invasive species in some areas. These plants grow aggressively and can regrow from any remaining root systems.
4. Climbing Euonymus
The climbing euonymus is a climbing shrub. There are different cultivars and species of this plant that are more vine-like, and some are more shrub-like.
As long as the climbing euonymus has support, it will climb. When able to spread, these plants can climb as high as 20 feet.
These plants grow best in areas with full sun to partial shade or dappled sunlight throughout the day. Climbing euonymus can be invasive in certain regions. These plants grow rapidly and can adapt to various soil types.
The climbing euonymus produces small dome or star-shaped flowers in the summer. These blooms are green or white and are on view for up to three weeks.
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5. Everglades Morning Glory
The everglade morning glory is similar to other types of morning glories. However, the everglades variety has distinct spear-shaped leaves.
You can expect to see these blooms for a long time during the season. The pink or purple flowers are in bloom in the summer and fall. They are funnel-shaped and have between four and five petals.
These plants are rapid growers. They are most suitable for areas that receive full sun to partial shade. You should plant everglades morning glories in sites with full sun and sandy, moist soil.
Be sure to handle these plants with care. Everglades morning glories are slightly poisonous to people and pets.
6. Everlasting Pea
The everlasting pea is a climbing plant that can extend as far as 10 feet. These plants do best in locations that get full sun. What's more, you should plant these in well-drained soil.
These plants have showy blue, yellow, pink, purple, and white flowers. You can expect to see everlasting pea blooms from summer until fall. They are less than an inch long and have between 7 and 20 petals.
Everlasting peas also produce fruits. They are green and edible once cooked. However, you shouldn't eat too many as they can cause paralysis, seizures, and shallow breathing in large quantities.
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7. Common Honeysuckle
Common honeysuckle plants are great for areas that get dappled sunlight. These plants prefer well-drained, neutral soils. However, they can also thrive in alkaline and acidic conditions. Once established, these plants are resistant to black walnut, deer, and drought.
You can find blooms for the common honeysuckle in the springtime. These fragrant flowers are showy and tubular-shaped. Some common colors you can find are cream, yellow, pink, purple, or white.
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8. American Wisteria
American wisteria plants grow best in slightly acidic, moist, but well-drained soil. For the best blooms, you need to plant American wisteria in areas that get full sun.
These plants don't transplant easily. So, it's best to choose the best location the first time.
These plants produce flowers in blue, yellow, green, purple, red, or white. They are fragrant and bloom from April until May. In some instances, your American wisteria may produce a second bloom in the summer.
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9. Trumpet Vine
Trumpet vines are common in swamps, forests, and thickets. This is an easy-to-grow dense vine that can reach up to 40 feet tall. You should plant these in areas that get full sun.
However, they grow rapidly and can be difficult to contain. Try planting trumpet vines in places where you can easily control their spread.
From June until September, you can find yellow, orange, or red blooms on the trumpet vine. The trumpet-shaped flowers are between 1 and 3 inches long. They are great for attracting hummingbirds.
Trumpet vines are resistant to many problems. These include poor soil, heat, and soil compaction. One downside to these plants is their low severity rating. The flowers and leaves can cause skin irritation.
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10. Summer Grape
Summer or Pidgeon grape is a woody vine that can grow between 25 and 35 feet when supported. You should plant these in areas that get full sun with loamy soil.
It's also important to plant them at a safe distance from your house. Because these plants are highly flammable, you should plant them outside the perimeter of your home.
These plants produce edible fruits, which wildlife and people can both enjoy. What's more, the flowers that bloom from spring until summer are valuable to local pollinators. The fragrant flowers are yellow or green and have between four and five petals.
Unfortunately, summer grapes are susceptible to disease and insect problems. These plants are also relatively messy. You'll have to clean up fallen fruits at the end of the growing season.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are so many Zone 5 climbing plants for various conditions. Remember to select a plant that is best for your soil and light conditions.
It's also important to know how to prune and guide your new vining plant! Always double-check when you should prune these types of plants.
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