17 Flowering Vines to Grow for Privacy in Your Backyard
Flowering vines are a spectacular addition to any backyard, providing a burst of color, fragrance, and practical benefits like privacy and shade. This article explores 16 stunning varieties of flowering vines that can transform your outdoor space into a vibrant and secluded garden retreat. From the fast-growing trumpet blasts of color in the Trumpet Vine to the delicate nighttime blooms of Moonflowers, each vine offers unique characteristics that cater to different gardening needs and aesthetic preferences.
Whether you’re looking to cover an old fence, create a floral canopy, or enjoy a vertical garden of cascading blooms, these flowering vines will provide beauty and function to your backyard.
Black Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)
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This vigorous vine is adorned with bright orange-yellow flowers featuring a dark, almost black center resembling an eye. Black-eyed Susan Vine can grow up to 6-8 feet in a single season and thrives in full sun to partial shade. It’s ideal for trellises, hanging baskets, or ground cover. The plant is relatively low-maintenance but benefits from regular watering and a light fertilizer during the growing season.
Zones: 10 to 11
Bougainvillea (Nyctaginaceae)
Known for its lush, vibrant bracts that appear like flowers, Bougainvillea can grow up to 15-40 feet. This vine requires full sun for the best color display and is drought-tolerant once established. It prefers well-draining soil and moderate watering, with reduced watering in the winter. Pruning after each bloom can help maintain its shape and promote more flowering.
Zones: 4 to 11
Canary Creeper (Tropaeolum peregrinum)
An eye-catching climbing plant celebrated for its unique, fringed flowers that resemble small canaries in flight, hence its name. The blooms are typically a bright, cheerful yellow and appear prolifically throughout summer. This vine is fast-growing and can reach up to 10 feet in length, making it perfect for quickly covering trellises, arbors, and fences with a vibrant display of color.
Canary Creeper thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. It’s fairly drought-tolerant but benefits from regular watering during extended dry periods to keep it flourishing. As a member of the nasturtium family, it is also known for its easy-going nature, requiring minimal care beyond occasional pruning to manage its growth and maintain its shape. This makes it an ideal choice for novice and experienced gardeners looking to add a burst of color and whimsy to their garden landscapes.
Zones: 9 to 10
Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
This evergreen vine features fragrant, bright yellow flowers and can grow up to 20 feet long. It’s perfect for fences, arbors, and walls, thriving in full sun to partial shade. Carolina Jessamine is low maintenance, needing only occasional pruning to keep it tidy.
Zones: 7 to 9
Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)
With its white lace-cap flowers, this climbing vine can stretch up to 30-50 feet. It prefers partial to full shade and well-drained, moist soil. Climbing Hydrangea is slow to establish, but once rooted, it provides a stunning display and can even thrive on north-facing walls.
Zones: 4 to 9
Clematis
Clematis vines boast a variety of colors and bloom times, and their sizes range from 2 to 30 feet, depending on the species. They prefer their “feet” in the shade and “heads” in the sun, requiring well-drained, fertile soil. Regular pruning and feeding will enhance their growth and flowering.
Zones: 5 to 8
Climbing Rose
Climbing roses require full sun, at least six hours a day, and thrive in rich, well-drained soil. Before planting, enriching the soil with compost or well-rotted manure can enhance growth. Depending on the variety and care, these roses can reach 8 to 20 feet. Regular pruning is crucial to maintain their shape and promote healthier, more abundant blooms.
Climbing roses are perfect for adding vertical drama to trellises, fences, or walls, bringing beauty and a touch of privacy to any garden setting.
Zones: 5 to 9
Fiveleaf Akebia (Akebia quinata)
A semi-evergreen vine is known for its fragrant purple flowers that bloom in early spring. This fast-growing vine can extend 20-40 feet, making it ideal for covering large spaces quickly. It thrives in both partial shade and full sun and while it is relatively low maintenance, it benefits from occasional pruning to maintain its shape and vigor.
Zones: 5 to 9
Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Honeysuckle, known botanically as Lonicera, is a captivating vine famed for its sweetly fragrant flowers, which come in shades of white, yellow, or pink, depending on the variety. This vine can grow up to 15-20 feet long and is highly favored for attracting pollinators like bees and hummingbirds. Honeysuckle vines thrive in full sun to partial shade and are adaptable to various soil conditions, though they prefer well-drained soils.
Regular watering and occasional feeding can enhance their lush growth and prolific flowering. Pruning can be done after flowering to keep the vines healthy and well-shaped.
Zones: 4 to 8
Mandevilla
Mandevilla is a striking tropical vine known for its large, trumpet-shaped flowers in vibrant shades of pink, red, or white. This vine can rapidly grow up to 10-20 feet in a single season, making it a spectacular choice for trellises, arbors, and fences. Mandevilla thrives in warm climates and requires full sun exposure to bloom profusely.
It prefers well-drained, sandy soil and benefits from regular watering and monthly fertilization during the growing season to support its fast growth. To protect it from frost, Mandevilla can be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors in cooler regions.
Zones: 10 to 11
Moonflowers (Ipomoea alba)
Moonflowers are enchanting night-blooming vines noted for their large, white, fragrant flowers that unfurl in the evening to greet the moon. These blooms, up to 6 inches in diameter, emit a sweet scent attracting night-flying pollinators. Moonflowers can grow rapidly, reaching lengths of 10-15 feet, making them perfect for trellises or fences where their nightly display can be fully appreciated.
They thrive in full sun to partial shade and prefer well-drained soil. Regular watering and a light fertilizer application during the growing season will enhance their vigorous growth and bloom production.
Zones: 3 to 12
Morning Glory (Ipomoea)
Morning Glory is celebrated for its vibrant, trumpet-shaped flowers that bloom profusely from early summer to the first frost. The flowers open early in the morning and come in various colors, including blue, purple, pink, and white, often with a striking, contrasting center. This vine can quickly grow up to 10-15 feet a season, ideal for covering trellises, arbors, and fences.
Morning Glories thrive in full sun, receiving at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily, and prefer well-drained soil. They are relatively drought-tolerant but benefit from regular watering during dry periods to maintain their lush appearance.
Zones: 2 to 11
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are vibrant and versatile vines that showcase bright, trumpet-shaped flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red. These fast-growing plants can climb up to 10 feet if supported, making them excellent for vertical gardening on trellises or sprawling ground cover. Nasturtiums thrive in full sun but can tolerate partial shade and prefer well-drained soil.
One of the unique features of nasturtiums is their edible flowers and leaves, which add a peppery flavor to salads and other dishes. They are also low maintenance, requiring minimal care beyond occasional watering in dry conditions, making them a perfect choice for gardeners looking for beauty and utility.
Zones: 9 to 11
Snail Vine (Vigna Caracalla)
A distinctive climbing plant renowned for its unusual, spiral-shaped flowers resembling snail shells. The blooms, which can vary in color from creamy white to lavender, emit a delightful fragrance, making this vine a sensory addition to any garden. Snail Vine can rapidly grow up to 20 feet, thriving best in full sun conditions with ample light. It requires regular watering to maintain consistent moisture in the soil, especially during hot weather.
This vine is ideal for trellises, archways, or fences where its intriguing flowers can be showcased and appreciated.
Zones: 9-10
Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
Star Jasmine, or Trachelospermum jasminoides, is an evergreen vine prized for its glossy green foliage and highly fragrant, star-shaped white flowers that bloom profusely in late spring and early summer. This vine can grow up to 20 feet long, making it ideal for covering walls, fences, and trellises.
Star Jasmine thrives in full sun to partial shade and prefers well-drained soil. It benefits from regular watering and occasional feeding with a balanced fertilizer to promote vigorous growth and abundant flowering. The sweet scent of its blossoms makes it a popular choice for outdoor living areas where the fragrance can be enjoyed up close.
Zones: 8 to 11
Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)
A robust climber known for its striking trumpet-shaped flowers in vibrant shades of orange, red, or yellow. This hardy vine can stretch up to 30-40 feet, making it ideal for covering trellises, walls, and other structures, offering quick coverage and a splash of color.
It thrives in full sun, which encourages the most prolific flowering, and is adaptable to various soil conditions, though it prefers well-drained soil. While the Trumpet Vine is low maintenance, managing its growth with regular pruning is important to prevent it from becoming invasive. This vine is particularly attractive to hummingbirds, adding an extra layer of wildlife interest to your garden.
Zones: 4 to 11
Wisteria
Wisteria is a stunning vine known for its cascades of blue to violet flowers. It can grow very long, up to 25-30 feet, and sometimes even longer under ideal conditions. Wisteria requires full sun for best flowering and prefers deep, fertile, well-drained soil. Due to the weight of the mature vines, it’s important to provide a sturdy support structure. Regular pruning helps maintain its shape and encourages more prolific blooming.
Zones: 4 to 8
Flowers For a Cottagecore Garden
Read: 28 Dreamy Flowers For Your English Country Cottage Inspired Garden
Flowers & Plants That Will Grow in Partial Shade
Read: 19 Flowers & Plants That Grow In The Shady Parts of Your Garden