18 Valuable Vines

The colorful bougainvillea (Bougainvillea sp.) is the climber seen growing on arbors and trellis in warm climates. It's a twining shrubby vine that needs support to climb up a smooth surface and should be trained up a trellis, arbor or fence. It develops spiny thorns, so wear durable gloves when handling. The showy bracts that surround the tiny true flowers look like crepe paper and come in a variety of colors, including pink, red, salmon-orange and yellow. It flowers best when under the slightly stressful conditions of a drier soil. Prefers a slightly acidic soil and leaves will show signs of chlorosis in an alkaline soil. Plant in full sun. Grows 20 to 40 feet where hardy. Some species are evergreen. Drought-tolerant. USDA Zones 9 to 11.