Annual vines, and vines in general, are underrated elements in the garden that can instantly make it pop without costing thousands of dollars. Amidst verdant masses of green leaves, colorful flowers bloom, requiring little space to grow. Some are nectar-rich, attracting a pageant of hummingbirds to the garden. 

Using stylistic support systems like arched trellises and wall trellises, these flowering vines proliferate, reaching voluminous lengths in a single growing season (perennial vines tend to grow slower). Situated between two raised beds, arched trellises allow you to maximize space by providing room to grow vegetables alongside florals. 

Besides the practical purpose of providing screen privacy, vining plants are grown for aesthetic purposes – they help obscure unsightly areas. With a little training, they’ll look like something straight from a fairytale setting. This article explores a few beautiful vines you should be growing in your garden. 

1. Creeping Gloxinia

Creeping gloxinia (Lophospermum erubescens) resemble petunias but are far more exuberant – they are self-cleaning, which means their flowers naturally drop. Instead of the wilted petunias you usually encounter, cultivars of lophospermums readily spill over from whatever vessel they are in, ranging from hanging baskets to window boxes. They can be grown as climbing vines, where wine-red tubular flowers cascade downwards in an elegant display. 

2. Morning Glory   

Morning glories are all about the show – they are quite the sight when seen festooning the backyard. Though they carry a stigma in some areas due to their vigorous self-seeding quality, morning glories bloom fabulously in the morning, imbuing the garden with magic in the early hours. They also come in a dazzling array of colors, from the old-fashioned purple and blue to confetti streaked; some are so dark as to appear black. Keep vines in check through pruning with a hori hori knife. 

3. Purple Bell Vine   

Burgandy blooms dangle pendulously on the breeze, bringing a romantic element to the garden. Typically, started from seed, they are sown indoors in late winter, 10 weeks before the last frost date. A prolific grower, purple bell vines affix itself to surfaces through tendrils and can grow up to 10 feet in a single season. 

4. Black-Eyed Susan Vine 

Are you tired of the drab mass of black-eyed Susans? Though given the same name, the black-eyed Susan vine (Thunbergia alata) is not the same as the flower (Rudbeckia hirta). The vine, native to Africa, is much more striking, densely clambering over structures until it becomes a thick mound of contrasting blossoms. Orange and yellow flowers are the most common, though white varieties are also available. While generally heat tolerant, it does not like either cold or intense heat. 

5. Sweet Pea   

Many pretty flowers don’t fare well in colder zones, though gardeners can rejoice in knowing that sweet peas are always an option. Sweet pea abhors heat – temperatures above 80 degrees will stunt their growth. Unlike many vines, which come from tropical locales, it languishes in the summer heat, wilting and dying off. Both fragrant and attractive, sweet pea vines are a strictly ornamental variety that climbs via tendrils. Deadhead flowers to keep them blooming. 

6. Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)

Few flowers possess both attractive foliage and blooms, yet the cypress vine has both. Despite belonging to the morning glory family, it vastly differs in appearance. Star-shaped flowers adorn this whimsical vine, which boasts feathery, fern-like foliage that gives it a festive look. A deer-resistant flower with no serious disease issues, it endures in the summer heat, attracting a slew of hummingbirds. 

7. Hyacinth Bean Vine

If you’re going for impact with little effort, the hyacinth bean is a must grow. The lavender flowers, which give away to beautifully tinted pods, are edible, as are the beans, though few people actually eat them. Given adequate support, the vines can soar to extraordinary lengths of 20 ft. A member of the legume family, it is a great cover crop, enriching the soil through nitrogen fixation and leaf decay.

8. Candy Corn Vine 

With small, red and yellow flowers strewn over the foliage like candy, this aptly named vine is fun to grow, even if you aren’t fans of candy corn. It pairs well with the spiky forms of dahlias and other sunset-colored flowers. For hummingbirds, they are a form of candy in itself, beckoning a sip from their tubular petals. 

9. Red Mandevilla 

Mandevillas are beautiful vining plants that bring with them an air of paradise, with the red variety especially eye-catching. They also tend to be more expensive than other vining plants – they are best grown in greenhouses, where the humidity levels mimic their natural climate. When buying mandevillas, be sure to look for the vining variety. The older varieties tend to be more sprawling while the new varieties have been bred to be shorter and more compact. 

10. Moonflower 

Only blooming at night, the moonflower is part of the morning glory family, with many of the same growing habits. Along with other night-blooming flowers, they are wired to bloom only at night, for a single night. The flowers open large and luminous, reflecting the color of moonlight. To increase the chance of propagation, soak the seeds for several hours and then cut open the hard exteriors. Moonflowers thrive in the humid southern climate, blooming continuously until the cool days of October.  

11. Corkscrew Vine 

The flowers of the corkscrew vine, also called snail vine, are curiously shaped, unfurling from tightly curled clusters. The flowers are fragrant, redolent of lilies and hyacinths. Corkscrew vine will happily scramble over fences, providing lush screen privacy.