18 Valuable Vines

Foot-long panicles of wisteria dangle overhead, a moonvine sends out its evening aroma, a trumpet vine offers its nectar to hummingbirds--the right vine can turn a garden into something special. Besides providing a little romance and ambiance, vines trained to climb arbors, trellises or walls provide that critical design element of verticality.

Plus, there's lots of payoff for very little effort. Not only are vines no-fuss plants, several are fast growers and will cover a large area quickly. Use them to help provide privacy or soften a wall, add interest to a trellis, cover a "fort" for the kids or add lushness and fragrance to the porch. Whether you're interested in flowers, fruit or foliage, there's a vine for you.

Calico Dutchman's pipe

Next: Bougainvillea

Instead of purple-and-cream flowers, the very unusual flowers on calico Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia elegans) are larger in size and have a spotted purple coloration that resembles the pattern of calico fabric. It also has the attractive heart-shaped leaves. Instead of a vigorous vine that's hardy to USDA Zone 4, this twining vine is native to Brazil and is not as rampant. Use it for summer foliage on a pillar or a fence, or as a vine in the greenhouse. It also makes a quick cover for a trellis, to drape a porch or to grow along a fence in the vegetable garden. Place it in a highly visible area where garden visitors can see its intriguing blooms. Plant in partial sun or shade. Evergreen where hardy. This tropical version of the more cold-hardy Dutchman's pipe (A. macrophylla) is native to South America. USDA Zones (8)9 to 11.