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"Try Vines to Beat Summer Heat"

by Skip Richter, Travis County Extension Horticulturalist

Texas summers can be brutal. As the mercury climbs, gardeners seek refuge indoors and yard work is relegated to early morning and late afternoon hours.

The combination of heat and humidity can turn our backyard recreational areas, including patios, decks, and children's playscapes, into a broiling inferno. The heat causes our air conditioning units to work overtime trying to keep up. Western walls, especially rock and brick surfaces, really heat up and radiate that heat into the home even after the sun goes down.

Vines offer a beautiful way to beat the heat. They can provide a natural screen to shade that brick wall on the west-side of a home. They also make an attractive outdoor wall or ceiling for a patio or deck.

We have many great vines to choose from for our Texas landscapes. They may be divided into three basic groups: annual and tropical vines (must be replanted each year), perennial vines (die back to the ground each winter and return in spring), and woody vines (above ground portions usually survive over the winter). Within each of these three groups are a number of vines that will fit most landscape situations. Space doesn't allow a complete listing of our many great vine options but here are a few excellent choices:

Annual and Tropical Vines:

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) - Small (1") red flowers and a canopy of feathery foliage somewhat like that of the cypress tree.   Reseeds profusely. Full sun. Flowers attract hummingbirds.

Hyacinth Bean (Dolichos lablab) - Fast growing bean vine with beautiful stalks of purple flowers over 12" long.   Blooms begin to set seed in late summer and fall.   Leaves are green with burgundy undersides, adding to the vine's appeal. Full sun.

Morning Glory (Ipomoea sp.) - Fast growing vine with large blooms in shades of blue, white and red.   Mites can be a problem at times, but the gorgeous blooms are worth it.   The moon vine (Ipomoea alba) is a close relative that blooms at night. Great for an outdoor deck area. Full sun.

Rangoon Creeper (Quisqualis indica) - This plant starts off as a 3' shrub then starts sending long vining shoots out and the plant becomes a vine.   This is how it gets the name "quisqualis" which means "which - what?" Produces large clusters of flared trumpet blooms which start out white and turn to red. Full sun.

Blue Butterfly Pea (Clitoria ternatea) - Tame vine that won't take over and thus is great for restricted areas.    Showy dark blue flowers with white centers.   Full sun.   Best viewed up-close.

Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia) - Several species of imported and one native vine with unique pipe-shaped blooms, best viewed up-close.   Fast growing. Full sun to part shade.

Perennial Vines:

Coral Vine or Queen's Wreath (Antigonon leptopus) - Vivid pink clusters of delicate lace-like blooms that hang down like pink chains.   Blooms through the last of summer.   Attracts pollinator insects like bumble bees.   A white blooming form is also available. Full sun.

Sky Flower (Thunbergia grandiflora) - Fast growing vine that covers an area quickly to provide a fast screen.   Large blue flowers are a very attractive accent and appear late in the season.   Attracts hummingbirds. Full sun.

Passion Flower (Passiflora sp.) - several species offering blooms in various colors including red, blue or purple.   Larval food source for Gulf Fritillary butterfly.   Flowers are fascinating and complex.   Best viewed up-close. Full sun.

Snail Vine (Vigna caracalla) - Pale purple blooms that curl around on themselves reminiscent of a snail's shell.   Best viewed up-close.   Full sun.

Sweet Autumn Clematis ( Clematis discorifolia) - Clouds of whitish flowers in late summer or early fall offer a scent reminiscent of vanilla.   Prefers to grow onto something such as a garden arch or pillar, forming a cascading mound of foliage.   Full sun to part shade.   A native clematis worth mentioning is Scarlet Clematis (C. texensis), a dainty vine with single, red, urn-shaped blooms in mid to late summer.   Shade to part shade.   Best viewed up-close.

Woody Vines:

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) - A dainty grower that is well suited to a confined area.   Coral blooms form clusters of tubular flowers.   A yellow form is also available.   Full sun to part shade.   Other well-mannered honeysuckle species worth growing include the varieties 'Pam's Pink' and 'Gold Flame.' Full sun to part shade.

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) - The native form sports rusty brown-red to yellow blooms.   A dazzling new variety 'Tangerine Beauty' is a show stopper with its tangerine to coral blooms.   It blooms profusely in spring and sparsely later in the season. Full sun to part shade.

Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) - The "wild" version is often cursed as a rampant weedy vine.   Newer cultivars like "Madame Galen" & "Georgia" offer larger blooms and have a place as a strong vine for a large arbor or to cover the expanse of a western wall.   Full sun to part shade.

Wisteria (Wisteria sp.) - Several species and varieties are available.   Long cascades of blue to purple flowers in spring.   Looks great trained along the top of a fence and cut back heavily each winter. Full sun to part shade.

Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) - Evergreen vine that puts on spring show of trumpet shaped yellow blooms.   Full sun to part shade.   All parts of the plant are poisonous.

Lady Banks Rose (Rosa banksiae)   - Long arching thornless canes bear yellow blooms in spring.   Needs lots of room to do its thing. Full sun. A lightly fragrant, white blooming form is also available.

Butterfly Vine (Stigmaphyllum periplocaefolium) - Semi-deciduous vine named after the butterfly-shaped seed pods which form after the yellow clusters of flowers drop.   Full sun.   May freeze to ground some years.

            With so many wonderful choices there is truly a vine for every part of the landscape. Even apartment dwellers can use vines. A container set up against a porch pillar or beside a stair or balcony railing make a great home for several of our less vigorous vines. Take a look around your landscape. There are probably a number of places were a vine could serve you well to beautify, shade or screen a view.