Fast-Growing Vines

By Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com

A co-worker is getting married in October and wants a vine that will cover an arbor in one season. She doesn't particularly care about flowers—she'll tack those in when the time comes—but wants a good coverage of nice foliage that will still look decent at a time when most things are winding down. She finally settles on fiveleaf akebia (or, chocolate vine), buying two one-gallon container plants in mid-April, and since then, the vines have put on about four feet of growth. To hedge her bets, she's keeping them in containers so that she can move them to a safe spot if frost threatens.

For her purposes, akebia (Akebia quinata) is a great choice. A woody twining vine that's fast out of the starting gate, it can grow 20 to 40 feet in a single season. It's hardy in USDA Zones 5 to 8 (iffy in Zone 4), deciduous but its leaves stay green until the first hard freeze, then they drop. In early spring flowers appear with the five-leaflet leaves; in fall purple pods appear. It shrugs off a range of light and moisture conditions, so adaptable that you have to prune it regularly and often to keep it in bounds.

Keeping her akebias in containers is also good insurance for the bride-to-be. Sometimes there's a thin line between a fast-growing vine and a weed out of control. Always check with your local extension office or trusted nurseryman to find out which plants are invasive in your area. If you want well-behaved fast growers, however, here are some other vines that know how to stay on the good side of vigor.