De-Vine Advice
By Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.comVines don't go only up. They also go out. HGTV garden experts tell us how to look beyond periwinkle and English ivy to find some new vining ground covers. Before you plant, study how the vine climbs and spreads and note whether there's anything nearby that you don't want it to climb.
Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum). This is a good choice for warm climes, says Gary Alan, host of Designer's Landscape. "It has a compact growth habit, stands about 16 to 18 inches tall as a ground cover and can go from full sun to shade. So it can crawl into any area, and you don't have to interrupt your design." The Asiatic jasmine--also called Japanese star jasmine--has fragrant, yellowish-white flowers in spring and evergreen leaves (Zones 7 to 9).
Hyacinth bean (Dolichos lablab). Kathy Renwald, host of The Gardener's Journal, is not a fan of invasive plants. "I am in hand-to-hand combat with goldenrod and manitoba maple that race full steam through all parts of my garden" she says. "So the thought of unleashing a vine troubles me, but if I were to cobble together the courage I would try hyacinth bean." This staple of Thomas Jefferson's garden sports pinkish flowers, purple leaves and neon-purple, edible seed pods.
Algerian ivy (Hedera canariensis) has dark green, evergreen leaves that are larger than English ivy (up to 8 inches long), and the stems and petioles are dark red (Zones 9 and 10). "This ivy doesn't have tendrils that cling to fences and brickwork, so that if it dies, there's no hard cleaning to do," Gary Alan says. "The variegated form is very elegant and pretty." Colchis or Persian ivy (Hedera colchica) is hardy to Zone 7.
Sweetautumn clematis (Clematis terniflora). Here's a vine you can get creative with, letting it not only cover ground but also cascade over boulders and large rocks, says John Cretti, host of The Winter Gardener. "Sweetautumn clematis is a very freeflowing type," he says, "and I let it wander around and use it over rocks. It looks quite natural when handled that way." In the fall, white flowers blanket this vigorous vine. A very fast grower, it needs supervision (Zones 5 to 8, possible 9). Jackman clematis (C. x jackmanii) offers purple flowers from late spring until frost: cultivars include white and every shade of red, blue, purple, lavender and pink (hardy to Zone 4). Western virginsbower ( C. ligusticifolia) has white flowers from mid- to late summer. There is an eastern variety as well (C. virginiana), and both are hardy to Zone 4. "The western virginsbower is native to our region, so it's well adapted to our soils and climate, and it can become invasive if not regularly pruned," Cretti says.
Variegated Virginia creeper
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Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolio). Watch this vine take over a woodpile--and everything else around--and you know how well some vines travel. While Virginia creeper (Zones (3) 4 to 9) has glowing fall color and the ability to cement itself to a wall, it's not always a gardener's first choice for ground cover. "I was trying to get rid of some Virginia creeper on a narrow strip where daffodils are planted," says Erica Glasener, host of A Gardener's Diary. "Then I realized that creeper was the perfect plant for this spot. The bulbs bloom early and once the Virginia creeper begins growing in spring it will quickly cover the area. An added bonus will be the red to orange color of the leaves in fall."
Other good groundcovers: Fiveleaf akebia (Akebia quinata) is a great choice for very fast cover and is evergreen in milder climates. Erica Glasener recommends 'Alba' for its white flowers and white fruits (Zones (4)5 to 8). White spring flowers and a nonrampant habit make the beautiful native climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara) another good choice, she says, "but the crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) 'Tangerine Beauty' is a showstopper." Crossvine needs full sun to develop adequate foliage cover. Photographs by Michael A. Dirr and Susan Hamilton
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