PLANT PROFILES: VINE

When looking for vertical impact with a small horizontal footprint…

…the VINE is a great choice with few competitors. Build lattice partitions to divide spaces for privacy or train them along an unsightly garage. It is advised to stay away from suckering VINES if using along a brick wall as it can attach to the mortar with maturity. In this instance, twining varieties such as Clematis are great alternatives as all they need is a lattice structure to start their ascent.

Some VINES also make for great groundcovers due to their slow, constant creep. When using them in the ground plane we recommend planting in monocultural swaths as they will take over anything planted nearby.

Growing VINES on a pergola is also a great way for providing shade in the growing season. Once mature, varieties such as Climbing Hydrangea thicken into a pleasing green ceiling that blooms for ornamental effect.

KEMORA PICKS	Boston Ivy, Clematis, Climbing Hydrangea, Climbing Rose, Virginia Creeper
SUN	Full Sun to Partial Shade
ORNAMENTAL INTERESTS	VINES provide ornamental value either horizontally or vertically in the landscape. Some bloom profusely and others are evergreen for a pleasing textural wall.
DESIGN USE	If in need of a flowering layer with a thin profile, use VINES as a back layer, along walls, or as a pergola ceiling for unique growing season interest.
ALTERNATIVES	Like the texture of VINES but need a compact habit? A few FLOWERING SHRUBS and UPRIGHT EVERGREENS comprise of a smaller footprint while maintaining height.
Boston Ivy Photo Credit: Brian Talbot via Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0]; Hydrangea Vine Photo Credit: JR P via Flickr [CC BY-NC 2.0]; Climbing Rose Photo Credit: T.Kiya via Flickr [CC BY-SA 2.0].

Plant info found on Google is not always precise as it is an aggregate of information from around the world—so we want to share our observations from years of getting our hands dirty in the Second City. This post is the latest in one of our newest series, PLANT PROFILES, where we explore each plant category as well as the preferred species of Kemora. We love plants which in turn gives us a trained eye for trouble-shooting them. And it is our hope you will come to love them too!

Kemora Landscapes is a full-service design, build, and maintenance company based in Chicago.