Green plants are among the most effective fighters against air pollution. Without them, life for humans would be much harder. Among green plants, vines hold a special place. They have flexible, non–self-supporting stems that require support to grow. They can be categorized by how they climb: twining, climbing, and clinging.
Vines are ancient, and their origins remain something of a mystery. Of the more than 2,000 species, most thrive in tropical regions, particularly in the Antilles. Some even trace the word “vine” back to those islands. Every plant family includes at least some vine species; families such as the morning glory and the gourd family are dominated by vines. With a growing area two to three times smaller than that of trees and shrubs, vines can produce significantly more green mass. Many are highly decorative and useful for food and medicine. They’re often the only plants suited to decorate vertical surfaces high above the ground where other species can’t thrive.
Vines have long attracted human attention as medicinal and fruit-bearing plants. The ancient Greeks and Romans even used them for defensive purposes. Today, in tropical countries, vines are widely used as building and crafting materials. They are especially valued in decorative gardening. Climbing to rooftops and covering walls with their picturesque mats, they beautify cities, towns, and gardens. Most vines are resilient to adverse conditions: they are winter-hardy and, with rare exceptions, do not require winter protection; they are drought-resistant and will produce flowers and fruit even with limited moisture. You may already be familiar with some: actinidia, aristolochia, grapes, woodbine, honeysuckle, campsis, and clematis, among others.
Among annual herbaceous vines, the most decorative include ipomoea, dolichos, cardiocarpus, quamoclit, Turkish beans, sweet pea, and several types of ornamental pumpkins. One of the most important vines, both decorative and productive, is the grapevine.
Grapes are powerful, woody, deciduous vines in the ancient genus Vitis. Grapevines produce juicy, flavorful fruits rich in glucose and vitamins, and they’re much loved as a decorative crop. In our region, Amur grape is widely used in landscaping. This deciduous vine can climb as high as 26 feet (8 meters). In spring it produces whitish-green buds with a pink hue and a dense woolly fuzz, followed by pink and reddish-green leaves that turn dark green in summer and vibrant orange and red in fall.
The Amur grape is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. The berries are edible and pleasant tasting. In its native range in the Far East and Primorsky Krai, people consume the fruit fresh, processed, and dried; it’s also used to make tartaric acid, vinegar, and wine. Amur grape can be propagated by seed, cuttings, and layering.
Two other decorative grape species are the maple‑leaved and Japanese varieties, known for their large, beautifully shaped, dark green glossy leaves. They form many shoots and show vigorous growth.
For decorative plantings, choose winter-hardy cultivated varieties such as Russian Concord, Lydia, Isabella, Alpha Black, Khasan Bous, and Buitur. The vine known as aconitophyllum is especially elegant: in spring it bears small shiny green and olive-green leaves with pronounced anthocyanin tinting; in summer and fall it shows deeply lobed dark green leaves and blue or bright orange fruits.
No park is complete without climbing honeysuckle. Use it for arbors, garden passages, and similar structures. Honeysuckles include deciduous, semi‑evergreen, and evergreen species that are graceful and richly flowering. One standout is fragrant honeysuckle, or caprifolium. This deciduous shrub starts its growing season early and finishes late. Caprifolium is exceptionally decorative in flower and fruit: the flowers range from white and yellowish-white to pink and dark pink and are fragrant; the fruits are orange-red. Caprifolium blooms abundantly from late May into June, for about 15 to 20 days.
Equally beautiful is Brown’s honeysuckle, a semi‑evergreen hybrid. Like caprifolium, it begins growth early and continues late into the season. It blooms from late May or early June and often continues until the first autumn frosts in September or October, showing coral-red flowers and fruits at the same time.
Another striking form is Telman’s honeysuckle, a deciduous hybrid that blooms profusely in May and June for about 15 to 20 days with large, bright orange inflorescences. Its leaves are bright green and its fruits are orange-red.
The climbing honeysuckle and its long-known “Belgian” form are exceptionally attractive. They bloom from late May into early June, with abundant, prolonged flowering that can last 75 to 90 days. Their fruits are decorative as well.
Among garden favorites is actinidia, particularly actinidia kolomikta, known in some regions as kishmish, raisin, or Amur gooseberry. In vitamin content, actinidia kolomikta ranks just below rose hips. To meet the daily requirement for vitamin C, a person needs only about two to three fruits.
This vine prefers semi‑shaded spots and fertile, fresh soils. It is highly winter-hardy and usually needs no winter protection, but its drought tolerance is average — plants can suffer from dry air and soil. In May and June it produces strongly aromatic white flowers, and some leaves become variegated — from white to pink and red — adding to the plant’s decorative appeal. The species is dioecious.
Actinidia kolomikta fruits annually, ripening from July to September. The fruits are elongated-elliptical, smooth, and green; ripe fruits are soft, sweet, and have a pleasant pineapple-like flavor and aroma. Eat them fresh or dried, or use them for jams, juices, and compotes.
One of the largest deciduous vines from the Far East is actinidia arguta. This dioecious plant blooms in late May to June. Its fruits ripen in late September to October and remain firmly attached to the shoots instead of dropping like those of actinidia kolomikta. The fruits are nearly round, slightly flattened on the sides, dark green, smooth, fleshy, juicy, sweet, with a delicate pineapple flavor and aroma, and rich in vitamin C.
Actinidia is recommended as both a fruit-bearing and decorative vine for greening walls, fences, arbors, and pergolas. Grow it in sheltered spots protected from harsh winds. Propagate actinidia by green cuttings and seeds. Take cuttings with 2 to 3 buds at the end of flowering and insert them into a substrate in a greenhouse up to the top bud. Cover the greenhouse tightly with frames and provide shade. Water twice a day. Once the first two leaves appear, ventilate the greenhouse. In August, open the greenhouse and leave it open until fall. Plant two‑ to three‑year‑old plants in their permanent locations.
Propagate actinidia by seed after stratifying seeds at varying temperatures for two to three months. Sow seeds at the end of March to early April in boxes or beds. Water, shade, and tend the young plants throughout the summer.
Another popular Far Eastern vine is the Chinese magnolia vine, also called the lemon vine, schisandra, or maximowiczia. Interest in magnolia vine comes from its versatility: it serves as food, a decorative plant, and a medicinal herb. Its fruits — and, by some accounts, the leaves — have a tonic effect, reducing fatigue and boosting mental and physical performance.
Magnolia vine, like grapes, loves sunlight. Plants in full sun bear fruit earlier and more profusely; plants in shade develop slowly and may produce little or no fruit. Magnolia vine has high winter hardiness but low drought tolerance; in dry years, water and mulch the soil. It prefers fertile, loose, well‑drained, moist soils and does not tolerate acidic, marshy conditions or fresh manure. Propagate it by seed, cuttings, or root suckers.
Among climbers that use roots for support, campsis radicans, or tecoma, is familiar to many gardeners. Native to North America, it has dark green compound leaves and large orange flowers with a red flare, grouped in clusters of 18 to 39 in the axils of the upper leaves. Campsis blooms abundantly and continuously from July to September. It roots easily from cuttings and produces many root suckers, which are useful for propagation.
Plants in the genus clematis are also widely grown, climbing with the help of leaf petioles — hence the name “leaf climbers.” No other perennial vine genus matches clematis for lush, repeat flowering and prolonged bloom that can last into the coldest days, nor for the variety of flower forms, sizes, and colors.
The large‑flowered garden forms of clematis are especially striking, with more than 200 varieties currently available.
Among annual herbaceous vines, the blue ipomoea is unmatched for beauty and flower abundance. Grow it from seed or seedlings. After germination or transplanting it grows slowly at first; these plants love heat. When temperatures drop to 50°F (10°C), bud opening stops and flowering declines. It blooms from July until the first autumn frosts, with a decorative period of roughly 40 to 56 days depending on cultivation.
In the small tropical genus quamoclit, quamoclit sloteri stands out. It’s decorative with its green, lacy, deeply dissected leaves and numerous intense red, funnel-shaped flowers. It blooms from July until late autumn frosts, for about 45 to 67 days.
Another ornamental favorite is dolichos lablab, known as common dolichos, Egyptian bean, or hyacinth bean — an annual climbing plant. Sow seeds directly into the ground in the second half of April. Flowering begins in the first half of July. The plants bear large trifoliate dark green leaves with a purple tint; purple flowers of varying shades are arranged in whorls and emit a delicate fragrance, followed by large purple pods. The decorative display usually lasts about 65 days, from August to October until the first frosts.
This brief list of promising vines for vertical gardening wouldn’t be complete without members of the gourd family — one of the largest and most practically important families. It includes many edible, medicinal, and decorative plants, as well as species that provide plant sponges for household use. Many gourds are excellent nectar producers, and watermelon and pumpkin seeds are rich in oil.
Gourd family members are attractive with large ornamental leaves that create a dense yet translucent drapery. Their fruits, often unusual in shape and color, add to the visual appeal. One example is the hard‑shelled pumpkin, an annual vine that clings with tendrils.
This species is characterized by a woody rind and a variety of fruit forms, including decorative bicolor varieties. The fruits can be small and pear‑shaped, turning orange at the flower end and green at the stem end as they ripen; the orange appears later and extends toward the middle of the fruit without fully merging with the green.
This list could also include woodbine, multiflora rose, hops, dioscorea, cardiocarpus, and many others — but covering them all would require an entire book.
