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Spring-Flowering Vines that Climb Well on a Trellis or Pergola
- , Plants
Vines are oftentimes the type of plant we think of least when deciding what to include in our landscaping plans. While vines can serve a number of purposes, we are choosing to focus on north Texas climbing vines that flower in the spring and look fantastic on a trellis or pergola.
Table of Contents
Crossvine
One of the most prolific of all the blooming vines, Crossvine is a Texas native and blooms throughout the spring in two-tone blooms of yellow, red, and orange. Crossvine has tendrils, so it will self-climb along your trellis, pergola, or arbor. Happy in the sun or partial shade, Crossvine can reach a height and width of over 20 feet. Crossvine tends to behave as a semi-evergreen plant in North Texas. This means it can lose some of its foliage in our coldest winter weather but tends to keep most of it throughout mild winters. To keep your Crossvine looking its best and under control, it should be pruned and shaped just after the spring bloom. You can lightly prune again at the end of winter, but be careful not to prune away last year’s growth, as the foliage contains the blooms for the upcoming year.
Carolina Jessamine
It is hard to go wrong with Carolina Jessamine. Another Texas native plant, the Carolina Jessamine is an evergreen vine that grows happily in sun or shade and can mature to 15 feet in height and width. Blooming fragrant, yellow flowers, Carolina Jessamine is one of the very first plants to start showing off in late winter. As with other flowering plants, you should plan to prune your Carolina Jessamine right after the bloom. You will need to help support Carolina Jessamine onto the arbor, pergola, or trellis, as it does not have tendrils to self-attach. The branches or stems can be twined around or through a trellis or arbor. You can also use jute twine to help attach the vine. The sap in Carolina Jessamine can be irritating to your skin, so wear gloves when pruning. Furthermore, all parts of Carolina Jessamine are poisonous, so do not ingest any part of the plant. Avoid planting this vine if you have curious pets.
Coral Honeysuckle
Unlike other varieties of Honeysuckle, Coral Honeysuckle is non-invasive and will happily grow on your trellis, arbor, or pergola. Coral Honeysuckle blooms long, red tubular blooms in the mid- to late spring and grows to a modest 8-10 feet tall and wide. This is definitely one of the most contained vines, so best suited to a garden trellis or arbor. Plan to support Coral Honeysuckle by twining or attaching to your trellis or arbor. Keep on top of pruning your Coral Honeysuckle right after spring bloom and again at the very end of winter with a light shaping to provide lots of air between stems. Coral Honeysuckle is semi-evergreen and can shed foliage if we get freezing winter weather.
Star Jasmine
Highly regarded for its fragrant flowers, Star Jasmine should be planted on an arbor or trellis where you can really appreciate it each spring. Another twining vine, Star Jasmine, will need your help to attach to a structure. Once the blooming has finished in late spring, plan to prune into shape for the rest of the year. Star Jasmine can easily grow if supported to 15 feet tall and wide. While Star Jasmine is not native to Texas, it is highly adapted and does not present any major disease propensities. Star Jasmine does struggle a bit in our North Texas winters, and parts or all of the plant can perish if we get a really hard freeze. It would absolutely be worth it to take the time and cover the vine to protect it from a hard freeze.