11 Easy-Growing Annual Vines

Choose high-flying annual vines to add drama and height to your garden.

By: Julie Martens Forney

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Photo By: Select Seeds Antique Flowers at SelectSeeds.com

Photo By: SelectSeeds.com

Photo By: Select Seeds Antique Flowers at SelectSeeds.com

Canary Bird Flower (Tropaeolum peregrinum)

Bright yellow, edible blooms sparkle against pretty lobed leaves on canary bird flower. The blossoms resemble exquisite orchids or birds in flight. Native to Peru, this vine climbs by twining. Train it up strings or other fine support. Expect vines to soar 8 to 12 feet in full sun to part shade.

Cup and Saucer Vine (Cobaea scandens)

Chartreuse buds open to reveal a dainty cream-colored cup and saucer on this Mexican native. Vines climb by tendrils, hoisting stems upward to heights of 10 to 20 feet. Purple blooming types open green flowers that fade to deep purple. Plants blossom best in full sun, opening buds until hard freezes.

Spanish Flag (Mina lobata)

Blooms open in glowing crimson, then fade to white, creating a two-tone color show on Spanish flag. Stems climb by twining, covering supports up to 15 feet tall. Give plants full sun and well-drained soil. This looks spectacular planted with purple cup and saucer vine.

Purple Bell Vine (Rhodochiton atrosanguineum)

Deep purple bell-shape blooms dangle from thread-like stems, bobbing on breezes. This beauty is a Mexican native introduced in 1833. Purple bell vines climb by tendrils and typically reach heights of 6 to 20 feet in a single growing season. Overwinter indoors in a sunny window.

Love-in-a-Puff (Cardiospermum halicacabum)

Also known as balloon vine, love-in-a-puff stages a show with tiny white blossoms that fade to green spherical seedpods. Each pod contains three seeds, which carry a white heart-shape mark. Vines climb by tendrils to 10 feet. Grow in full sun in well-drained to sandy soil.

Black-Eyed Susan Vine ‘Alba’ (Thunbergia alata)

The blossoms on this eye-catching vine sport dark throats with contrasting petals in various shades, including white, classic gold, orange or apricot. Give plants full sun to part shade. This climber tolerates humid heat and climbs or trails 5 to 8 feet in a single growing season.

Grass Pea (Lathyrus sativus)

These grassy plants produce sweet pea-like blooms in shades of sky blue with hints of pink. This pea climbs using tendrils and will grow to 3 feet tall. It shines in containers and prefers the cooler growing conditions of early spring. Plant in full sun to part shade and humus-rich, moist soil.

Hyacinth Bean ‘Ruby Moon’ (Dolichos lablab)

Purple blankets this vine, tinting leaves, flowers and seed pods. Lavender blooms fade to yield edible beans tucked inside shiny purple pods. Vines climb by twining and soar to 20 feet with the right support. Plants were introduced from Egypt in 1818 and thrive in humid heat.

Mandevilla (Mandevilla x amabilis)

Trumpet-shaped blooms open in many hues, including pink, red, white and yellow. Vines climb by twining and can reach up to 10 feet in temperate regions, higher in warmer areas. New varieties offer a bushy, shorter stature that’s ideal for containers. Read plant tags to ensure you’re getting the size plant you want.

Morning Glory ‘Flying Saucers’ (Ipomoea tricolor)

Morning glory is an easy-growing vine that unfurls saucer-shape blossoms with the arrival of each new day. 'Flying Saucers' features flowers in various combinations of blue and white that measure roughly 5 inches across. Vines climb by twining and leap to 10 feet high.

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)

Bright red star-shape blooms beckon hummingbirds to this annual vine. Leaves have a delicate, ferny texture. Plants climb up to 20 feet when planted in light, fertile soil that’s moist but well-drained. Cypress vine is similar to cardinal creeper, which has more solid leaves. These vines can be invasive in some regions.