by Mary Free and Christa Watters, Extension Master Gardeners
Vines are plants that are too slender, flexible, or weak to support themselves but climb, twine, or trail along a surface to grow or spread. They are often called climbers, twiners, and lianas and have specialized climbing mechanisms like tendrils, twining stems or petioles, holdfasts, or aerial roots.
Vines are useful to get more plant area out of small spaces and to provide vertical interest in any landscape. They can help filter out noise and pollution and create a privacy screen. Flowering vines add life and color and attract pollinators.
While vines have unarguable advantages, they also have disadvantages—vigorous growth habits that may require equally vigorous pruning so that they do not outgrow their allotted garden space. Although some native vines can grow aggressively, invasive non-native vines, many still sold at nurseries, can cause considerable damage if they escape cultivation and invade natural areas, overtaking and smothering native plants or invade public spaces, climbing utility poles and weighing down power lines.
Learn more about vines and what you should consider if you plan to use them to add another dimension to your garden.
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