The Best Flowering Vines 2023

Jul 26, 2023

Choose from annuals and perennials; bold colors and subtle hues.

One of the easiest ways to add instant texture, color, and natural appeal to your home is to add flowering vines to your garden. In addition to giving your outdoor space a brighter, more cheerful demeanor, flowering vines also impart a natural privacy screen, further blocking off your little slice of heaven from the rest of the world (should that be your goal). Of course, it helps to know which vines bloom with the prettiest flowers, so we chatted with two gardening experts on the subject.

Like all plants, flowering vines come in annual and perennial varieties, and some are easier to care for than others. When it comes to annuals, you can expect a beautiful season of blooms, but it's important to keep in mind that they won't come back the next year. Perennials, on the other hand, bloom year after year. Though, the initial year of planting may be a touch underwhelming, as they take time to really establish themselves in their new environment. With this in mind, you can determine whether flowering vines that you can switch out each year (ie: annuals) are your best bet, or if you’d prefer a steadfast flowering vine that will make a statement in your garden for many years to come.

Whichever you choose, adding the vines to your garden doesn't take a ton of precision. Once you place them on a trellis, fence, or post, they’ll take control, spindling up and around as they grow. The key is to remember that you don't want vines to grow on your house (beautiful as it may look), as they can introduce bugs into your home should there be any cracks or crevices in the siding.Now, the fun part. Ahead, uncover 16 of the prettiest flowering vines, according to gardening experts.

Type: Perennial

Whether you’re a big fan of the color hot pink or you can't stop thinking about your dream-like vacation to the Mediterranean, in which vibrant pink flowering vines lined bright white homes, bougainvillea is the perfect vine-shrub for you, PlantIn gardening expert, Melvin Cubain, says. "The flowers, which are actually modified leaves, come in different colors such as purple, magenta, white, orange, and yellow," he explains. "They grow best on a veranda that receives full sunlight. Planting them directly on the ground makes them grow faster than potting soil."

Type: Annual

Another beautiful pink flowering vine? Fragrant sweet peas. "Sweet Peas produce showy blooms in a variety of pink, red, and white hues," says Rebecca Sears, chief gardening guru for Ferry-Morse. "Sweet Peas can be started indoors four to six weeks ahead of your growing season or can be sown outside in the fall if you live in a milder climate—it's just recommended that you soak your seeds 24 hours before planting."

Type: Perennial

Anyone who has watched Bridgerton knows: Few flowering vines are quite as whimsical and romantic as wisteria. "Known for its hanging violet flowers, wisteria are great plants to add a romantic touch to balconies," Cubain says. "Plant them in well-drained, fertile soil and in a location that takes morning or afternoon sunlight."

Type: Perennial

Prefer a more neutral color palette? The white petals of a star jasmine vine may be just the thing. "Star jasmines are one of the prettiest flowers to have on a patio not only because of its stellate white flowers but for its sweet fragrance," Cubain says. "This sub-tropical flowering vine can tolerate full or partial sunlight. In climates that experience harsh winters, this should be moved indoors. It also should not be overwatered as it is sensitive to root rot."

Type: Annual

Love the color red? Cardinal climbers are a beautiful flowering vine worth looking into. "Cardinal climbers are another attractive option, as they produce loads of small, deep, scarlet-colored trumpets beginning in mid-summer and blooming until fall," Sears says.

Type: Perennial

For a more unique floral accent, passionflower is here to deliver. "This blooming vine is admired because of its unique and outlandish blossom structure that any common flower will envy," Cubain says. "Many hybrids exist in different colors such as blue, purple, pink, red, orange, white, and even yellow." For best results, he says to plant it in a location with full or partial sunlight. "Because this is a sub-tropical plant, this is best planted in areas with mild winters," he adds.

Type: Perennial

Think: traditional honeysuckle but with bright orange blooms that are impossible to ignore. "This low-maintenance climbing shrub thrives best in full sunshine and in places that experience infrequent frost," Cubain says. "However, too much sunlight can scorch its leaves. Like many plants, this needs fast-draining and fertile soil. Because it has a shrub-like habit, training and pruning are necessary to achieve the desired shape in the balcony."

Type: Perennial

While usually treated as an annual, scarlet runner beans are actually perennial vines, so they’ll come back yearly if you let them. "They will attract hummingbirds to your garden," Sears adds, noting the appeal of the tiny red blooms. "Scarlet runner beans are also super easy to grow from seed—plus, you can snack on the beans or try them on top of your salad."

Type: Perennial

Add a bright, sunshine-y appeal to your garden by outfitting it with yellow bells. "Yellow bell is a flowering plant prized for its distinct, golden, bell-shaped blossoms," Cubain said. "It has a bushy growth habit but can be trained as vines during the first growing years, ideal for making an artificial living roof for a balcony." For best results, he says to plant it in direct sunlight.

Type: Perennial

Beloved for their bulbous, bushy shape, hydrangeas are a popular flower in vases and bouquets. That said, Cubain says that climbing hydrangeas exist, too. "This trailing variety of hydrangea is appreciated for its pure white inflorescence that adds an aesthetic accent to the walls or balcony grills," he says. "It is best planted in spots that take the partial sun with nutrient-rich and loose-textured soil. Watering should be done close to the roots to avoid leaf spots, a disease this plant is susceptible to."

Type: Perennial

Love the look of classic roses? Let them careen up your balcony or lattice for a romantic statement. "Climbing rose is one of the prettiest plants you should consider integrating into your garden," Cubain says. "Like its bushy cousin, it comes in various colors such as blue, white, red, orange, pink, and yellow." One thing to keep in mind is that climbing rose needs direct sunlight. "This flowering climber must be trained in trellis during the first growing years to showcase its beautiful flowers," he adds, noting that pruning helps to avoid leaf spot diseases.

Type: Perennial

Despite its name, coral vine (also known as Mexican creeper) is more baby pink than pinky-orange coral. "Coral vine is a sun-loving plant and does not need continuous watering once established," Cubain says. "It can resist drought and frost after being dormant in winter and will profusely grow in spring." That said, because the entire vine withers in winter, he says to remove any dead stems to keep the vine looking its best.

Type: Perennial

Complete with trumpet-shaped blooms, Rock Trumpet vines (AKA Mandevillas) are known for their bright demeanor, often in shades of pink, red, orange, and white. "The flowering vine thrives well in a sunny location but may need filtered light during the first growing stages," Cubain says. "It is sensitive to low temperatures and needs to be sheltered indoors during winter when the temperature drops to 10 C (50 F)."

Type: Perennial

This sprawling vine is dotted with unique subtropical white flowers with brilliant red tips, hence their name. "It performs best in partially shaded areas, although it can tolerate the full sun if given enough moisture," Cubain says, noting to plant it in well-draining soil to help prevent root rot. "It can be propped with a trellis or allowed to creep up and sprawl over the balcony, displaying its dazzling uniquely-shaped flowers."

Type: Perennial

Moonflowers get their name from their circular, bright white appearance. "The moonflower is a winter-hardy perennial that can grow in warm and cold climates," Cubain says. "It should be produced on a veranda that enjoys at least six hours of direct sunlight. Like many vines, it might need to be temporarily tied to a pole before it can independently twine and grow."

Type: Perennial

Similar in color to Wisteria, sandpaper vine (AKA Petrea vine) touts a pale bluish-purple hue. Though, instead of cascading petals like Wisteria, it has slim, star-shaped flowers. "The stellar-shaped flowers that are dramatically suspended in its woody stem," Cubain says. "Its bushy growth habit can be trained to climb on a balcony to display its hanging lilac flowers. The plant can thrive in full and partial sunlight as long as it is moderately watered and planted in sandy-loam soil."

Rebecca R. Norris is a full-time freelance writer living in the DC metro area. She writes for a variety of publications, primarily covering women's interest topics. When she's not writing, she can be found out and about with her Jack-Chi, Cash, sweating her way through an Orangetheory class, or taking it easy with family and friends

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