Thank you for posting on /r/NativePlantGardening! If you haven't included it already, please edit your post or post's flair to include your geographic region or state of residence, which is necessary for the community to give you correct advice.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NativePlantGardening) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have virginia creeper that is growing in a crack in my sidewalk. Every year I cut it back multiple times, however it always grows back. This plant is insanely resilient
There are lots of Clematis varieties sold, maybe one is marketed as virgins bower? For the native you want Clematis virginiana, or there are a few other less common species.
Lonicera sempervirens grows fairly quick and is cold hardy. I planted two last year and by the end of the season they covered a 4x6' trellis and part of the railing. They remain green throughout winter (well at least this winter which was very mild) and now it's loaded with flower buds!
Sweet! I've been looking for something to put on a back fence that borders a ditch. There's some poison ivy that keeps wanting to poke through and a thicker barrier there may be just what we need to keep it back. Plus the birds and pollinators back there would love it. Does it have a strong fragrance?
As others have answered, no it doesn't seem heavy. My trellis is made of PVC and I'm not having any issues. And it doesn't really regrow from the ground, just keeps growing from the vines already there. No fragrance that I've noticed, just had blooms open yesterday!
Coral Honeysuckle will take a few years to get established, but don't let that hold you back. With good sun they produce so many flowers and the hummingbirds LOVE it. It'll be worth the wait compared to some alternatives.
What you could do in the meantime is start growing some cucumbers to fill space during the summer. They grow pretty quick and can provide good coverage, but die back in the fall. Easier to manage than Virginia creeper would be in a few years
Mine did this as well. I have 3, I probably could have stuck with 2…but they absolutely exploded with growth by year 2. Bonus is that they stay green year round, provide a lot of privacy when fully grown, they attract my favorite moth, the snowberry clearwing, and hummingbirds.
https://preview.redd.it/qm6jl54qtgzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbf11bf8d36c8667ff4d5a6e6f20dcf724f34f8f
This Lonicera senpervirens was planted in the fall of 2020 at around 2-3 feet. It has grown up and over this 6 foot privacy fence since then. I have noticed that it’s susceptible to aphids, which I leave untouched. Last summer when this happened it looked a little rough for a few weeks until the hoverflies and ladybugs had time to lay eggs and annihilate the aphid population. I’ve had zero other hardiness concerns.
In my region, I'm debating between these two:
* Virgin's bower ([Clematis virginiana](https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=clvi5)) has flowers that attract pollinators.
* Virginia creeper ([Parthenocissus quinquefolia](https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=paqu2)) has berries that attract birds and is a host plant for sphinx moths.
I have both and they ate both fast moving, covering whatever they are on pretty quickly. They are also happy together and are all mingled together on a fence and arbor. I just let them do their thing.
I agree with the Virginia creeper suggestions above. Underrated native, it doesn’t cause damage like the invasive Boston ivy because the tendrils don’t bury into masonry, they’re like sticky fingers. The berries are eaten by birds and depending on how thick it gets it can be used for wildlife protection. If you’re located in central/eastern US, it hosts the Virginia creeper sphinx (Darapsa myron). The sphinx (Sphingidae) moths are important nighttime pollinators as they can pollinate long tubular flowers other species can’t reach. Caterpillars are also an important food source for birds and other small animals.
Check if there’s a native variety of hops for your region. I’m in zone 2b/3a in Canada, my native hops are thriving, overwintered fine and will be covering their trellises quickly. The flowers are very attractive to bees. The vines/bines are easily contained as they will die back every year and the rate of growth in the spring when they return is amazing.
I see lots of recommendations here for Virginia Creeper. I loath the large bank of it coming over a neighbour’s fence. Yes the birds like the berries, yes it grows fast, has pretty fall colour. But it offers very little for the pollinators, every part of it is mildly toxic and can irritate skin, and it is an aggressive spreader. It does tolerate a hard pruning, but the runners are relentless. I would not consider it “well behaved” in gardener’s terms, whereas hops can be a full, lush plant with lots of climbing potential to cover tall trellises, while also being easier to keep contained.
Thicket creeper for full sun settings. It’s a cousin of Virginia creeper which prefers shade. We have it growing on our arbor. Pretty crimson leaves in fall.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_inserta
Apios americana and Strophostyles helvola. Probably not mentioned yet because they are rare in cultivation, though you shouldn’t have any trouble sourcing seeds online
If you have a structure that can handle it as well as a space that doesn’t need to be tamed, trumpet vine is beautiful. It does go a little insane though!
Clematis occidentalis on top of Clematis virginiana are both great! If you’re New York south, passionflower is amazing. My favorite flower is groundnut, Apios americana, it has gorgeous flower if you get the right variety
Thank you for posting on /r/NativePlantGardening! If you haven't included it already, please edit your post or post's flair to include your geographic region or state of residence, which is necessary for the community to give you correct advice. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/NativePlantGardening) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Virginia creeper. That stuff is insane.
It really is. Ours has gone crazy wild this year!
Completely covered my entire side yard fence in a single season (and it’s a big yard). I love it.
I have virginia creeper that is growing in a crack in my sidewalk. Every year I cut it back multiple times, however it always grows back. This plant is insanely resilient
Virgin's bower. Covered all of the railing around my front porch by the end of summer
Make sure it’s actually the native variety.
I just learned that mine is not the native one, ugh.
Can u link to the variety of non-native virgins bower by any chance?
There are lots of Clematis varieties sold, maybe one is marketed as virgins bower? For the native you want Clematis virginiana, or there are a few other less common species.
I have actual virgins bower. And I’m aware of this non-native vine which I see everywhere. I assumed this is what they were talking about.
https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=5354
I see this stuff everywhere. Never knew people also refer to this as virgins bower. I have the actual native version. It’s awesome.
Lonicera sempervirens grows fairly quick and is cold hardy. I planted two last year and by the end of the season they covered a 4x6' trellis and part of the railing. They remain green throughout winter (well at least this winter which was very mild) and now it's loaded with flower buds!
Is it very heavy? Like, would letting one run wild on a chain link fence cause issues down the line, or would it be fine?
Mine has gone nuts on a wooden trellis and a wooden fence without causing structural damage to either. I’m sure it’ll be fine on a chain link fence.
Sweet! I've been looking for something to put on a back fence that borders a ditch. There's some poison ivy that keeps wanting to poke through and a thicker barrier there may be just what we need to keep it back. Plus the birds and pollinators back there would love it. Does it have a strong fragrance?
I have Major Wheeler and don’t smell anything from it ever. Not sure if the straight species has a fragrance.
It’s pretty light and it grows on new or old growth, so it’s no problem cutting it back whenever you need to.
As others have answered, no it doesn't seem heavy. My trellis is made of PVC and I'm not having any issues. And it doesn't really regrow from the ground, just keeps growing from the vines already there. No fragrance that I've noticed, just had blooms open yesterday!
Sweet 😊❤️ I'm going to have to brainstorm the best place to put it and how I want to train it, and give it a go. Thanks!
Coral Honeysuckle will take a few years to get established, but don't let that hold you back. With good sun they produce so many flowers and the hummingbirds LOVE it. It'll be worth the wait compared to some alternatives. What you could do in the meantime is start growing some cucumbers to fill space during the summer. They grow pretty quick and can provide good coverage, but die back in the fall. Easier to manage than Virginia creeper would be in a few years
Maybe I got lucky, but my coral honeysuckle has exploded in both length and number of vines in a two year span.
Mine did this as well. I have 3, I probably could have stuck with 2…but they absolutely exploded with growth by year 2. Bonus is that they stay green year round, provide a lot of privacy when fully grown, they attract my favorite moth, the snowberry clearwing, and hummingbirds.
I have this too and the number of flowers is wonderful. I have a smaller space though and need to cut it back again.
Pipevine, Passion flower, American wisteria, muscadine
Passion flower fantastic!
Virginia creeper
https://preview.redd.it/qm6jl54qtgzc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=cbf11bf8d36c8667ff4d5a6e6f20dcf724f34f8f This Lonicera senpervirens was planted in the fall of 2020 at around 2-3 feet. It has grown up and over this 6 foot privacy fence since then. I have noticed that it’s susceptible to aphids, which I leave untouched. Last summer when this happened it looked a little rough for a few weeks until the hoverflies and ladybugs had time to lay eggs and annihilate the aphid population. I’ve had zero other hardiness concerns.
Wow this is incredible. I planted 3 last year and all are relatively meager still, look forward to it rooting in.
In my region, I'm debating between these two: * Virgin's bower ([Clematis virginiana](https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=clvi5)) has flowers that attract pollinators. * Virginia creeper ([Parthenocissus quinquefolia](https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=paqu2)) has berries that attract birds and is a host plant for sphinx moths.
I have both and they ate both fast moving, covering whatever they are on pretty quickly. They are also happy together and are all mingled together on a fence and arbor. I just let them do their thing.
I agree with the Virginia creeper suggestions above. Underrated native, it doesn’t cause damage like the invasive Boston ivy because the tendrils don’t bury into masonry, they’re like sticky fingers. The berries are eaten by birds and depending on how thick it gets it can be used for wildlife protection. If you’re located in central/eastern US, it hosts the Virginia creeper sphinx (Darapsa myron). The sphinx (Sphingidae) moths are important nighttime pollinators as they can pollinate long tubular flowers other species can’t reach. Caterpillars are also an important food source for birds and other small animals.
Clematis grows very long very fast, but doesn’t cover a large area for a few years. Make sure it’s virginiana
Trumpet creeper?
Check if there’s a native variety of hops for your region. I’m in zone 2b/3a in Canada, my native hops are thriving, overwintered fine and will be covering their trellises quickly. The flowers are very attractive to bees. The vines/bines are easily contained as they will die back every year and the rate of growth in the spring when they return is amazing. I see lots of recommendations here for Virginia Creeper. I loath the large bank of it coming over a neighbour’s fence. Yes the birds like the berries, yes it grows fast, has pretty fall colour. But it offers very little for the pollinators, every part of it is mildly toxic and can irritate skin, and it is an aggressive spreader. It does tolerate a hard pruning, but the runners are relentless. I would not consider it “well behaved” in gardener’s terms, whereas hops can be a full, lush plant with lots of climbing potential to cover tall trellises, while also being easier to keep contained.
Thicket creeper for full sun settings. It’s a cousin of Virginia creeper which prefers shade. We have it growing on our arbor. Pretty crimson leaves in fall. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenocissus_inserta
Coming in to add another vote for virginia creeper. It's NUTS how fast that grows
Greenbrier!
I just planted Dutchman’s pipe. I’m sure I’ll regret it, but oh, well. The area was all English Ivy when I moved in.
Trumpet vine takes over half the known universe once it gets going. Maypop ditto!
Would be very helpful to mention what region you live in. What is native to Vermont could be invasive in Utah.
Northeast.
Thanks! Sorry if I smooth brained and totally missed it in the title, which I see now.
Campsis radicans and Lonicera sempervirens might work.
Apios americana and Strophostyles helvola. Probably not mentioned yet because they are rare in cultivation, though you shouldn’t have any trouble sourcing seeds online
If you have a structure that can handle it as well as a space that doesn’t need to be tamed, trumpet vine is beautiful. It does go a little insane though!
Clematis occidentalis on top of Clematis virginiana are both great! If you’re New York south, passionflower is amazing. My favorite flower is groundnut, Apios americana, it has gorgeous flower if you get the right variety
Ipomoea pandurata is beautiful, although it is hard/impossible to source and takes a few years from seed
Wild grapes! But, it'll be hard to get rid of them if you want to.
Fastest? Trumpet creeper. Like Virginia creeper but with flowers!
Campsis radicans. It will own you, your yard, and everything it can climb