This evergreen clematis variety has waxy dark green leaves and pale pink and white flowers that smell sweet and slightly almondy. The flowers appear in early spring and are often some of the first flowers in a garden.
Blooms only last up to four weeks, but the foliage is attractive and dense enough to form a beautiful trellis or fence that lasts all year. Plus, you don’t need to prune the plant, so it’s an easy-to-grow, low-maintenance choice.
This plant is one of the few vines that you need to skip if you have dogs or if your yard is open for dogs to wander into. Instead, plant it in a fenced garden to keep dogs away as it is highly toxic to dogs.
Black-eyed Susan Vine
Most people don’t think of vines when they think of Black-Eyed Susan, but of the shorter wild-flowered variety. The vine is another species that grows up to 8 feet and spreads quickly up to 6 feet.
Plant the vine in early spring after the last frost to see it climb. It can grow a full 8 feet in one growing season. The vine seeds itself, so you don’t have to worry about replanting or maintenance, but it can take over its share of the garden if you’re not careful.
The leaves have an arrowhead or heart shape and set off the small coral-colored, daisy-like flowers. Also known as a bell vine, some tropical areas like Hawaii consider it invasive, so check before planting.
