Are you looking for the perfect flowering vines to add beauty and style to your Pacific Northwest garden? With so many options, it can take time to choose the right ones. Fortunately, there are some amazing flowering vines that are perfectly suited to the Pacific Northwest climate and will thrive in your garden.
Climate-Friendly Flowering Vines
Clematis (Clematis spp.)
One of the most popular flowering vines for your Pacific Northwest garden is clematis. These long-lasting and easy-to-care-for plants are a favorite among gardeners. Clematis come in a variety of colors and sizes so that you can find the perfect plant for your landscape. Their delicate petals look stunning in the spring and summer months, and they can provide your garden with a beautiful climbing accent. Clematis are well-suited for nearly any type of soil, so they’re also easy to maintain. Consider adding this flowering vine to your garden to bring beauty and charm to your landscape.
Ideal Uses:
- Mailbox posts, arbors, trellises
- Interplanted with shrubs or low ground covers
Care Tips:
- Sun on leaves, shade on roots
- Mulch base to retain moisture
- Prune according to group classification
- Provide strong, upright support
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
Honeysuckle is one of the most popular flowering vines for your landscape in the Pacific Northwest. With proper care, this flowering vine will give your garden a long-lasting display of colorful blooms and fragrance throughout the growing season. Beautiful, fragrant flowers attract pollinators such as butterflies and hummingbirds. Honeysuckle can be trained to climb up walls, trellises, or other structures, providing a burst of color and scent to any outdoor area. When planting honeysuckle, make sure you choose a spot that gets plenty of sunlight and has well-draining soil. You can also trim and prune this vine to control its growth and maintain a neat shape.
Ideal Uses:
- Fence lines, privacy screens, and overhead trellises
- Wildlife habitat and sensory gardens
Care Tips:
- Full sun to partial shade
- Light pruning after bloom
- Water deeply in dry spells
Avoid invasive species and overfertilization
Black Eyed Susan Vine
For a unique flowering vine to incorporate into your landscape, Black Eyed Susan Vine is a perfect choice. This species of Thunbergia is an excellent addition to the Pacific Northwest garden. It thrives in warm summer temperatures and is known for its lush green foliage and bright yellow, daisy-like flowers. It is an annual vine, growing up to 20 feet long, and provides an impressive covering on any trellis or fence. Its long, sprawling vines are full of fragrant blooms, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators. The Black Eyed Susan Vine is also drought-tolerant, making it a low-maintenance option for gardeners looking for easy-care flowering vines for their landscape.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a beautiful and fragrant flowering vine for your landscape. It has a delicate, star-shaped flower with a heavenly scent. In the Pacific Northwest, several varieties of jasmine grow well in our area.
A beautiful addition to your landscape, jasmine is an excellent choice for a hardy and fragrant flowering vine. Jasmine vines need full sunlight and well-draining soil to thrive. Regular pruning is necessary to keep your vine blooming during the warmer months. Jasmine attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden.
Passionflower Vine
One of the best flowering vines for your landscape in the Pacific Northwest is the Passionflower Vine. This easy-to-care-for and fast-growing vine boasts unique other-worldly, star-shaped flowers ranging from purple and blue to white and yellow. The Passionflower Vine is a very hardy vine, able to withstand extreme temperatures and difficult growing conditions. It is an excellent choice for those looking to add color and texture to their garden and offer a privacy screen.
Climbing Roses
Climbing roses can bring your Pacific Northwest garden to life. You can have beautiful blossoms and fragrances while also attracting pollinators. Climbing roses can be planted next to a patio and grow over an arbor, trellis, and other supports.
Some varieties of climbing roses to consider include:
Arborose Quicksilver – has lavender blooms and a sweet fragrance. A wonderful climbing rose, it also has disease-resistant foliage.
Don Juan -This red rose produces blooms up to 4 inches and is fragrant. Don Juan is one of the better climbing roses.
Lady Banks – is a popular yellow rose that can grow up to 20’ feet tall. This climber prefers well-drained soil and needs sturdy support. A thornless variety, Lady Banks received an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
Star jasmine is an evergreen vine known for its strong fragrance and clusters of white, star-shaped flowers. It grows slowly in the first season but establishes a dense, twining structure over time. This variety is ideal for spaces where scent and structure matter most.
Ideal Uses:
- Patios, fences, and courtyard gardens
- Trellises and lattices for vertical coverage
Care Tips:
- Full sun to partial shade
- Well-drained, slightly acidic soil
- Moderate watering after establishment
Annual pruning to manage shape and blooms
Passionflower (Passiflora caerulea)
Passionflower is a striking option for gardeners seeking unique blooms. This fast-growing deciduous vine produces ornate flowers that range in color from blue and purple to white, and it is well-suited for quick vertical coverage. It performs best in full sun and thrives with regular pruning.
Ideal Uses:
- Arbors, privacy screens, and chain-link fences
- Pollinator-friendly borders and trellis features
Care Tips:
- Full sun with well-drained soil
- Regular water during dry periods
- Prune in early spring to control growth
- Tolerates brief cold snaps
Black-Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia alata)
This fast-growing annual vine produces cheerful flowers in bold tones of orange, yellow, and white, each featuring a distinctive dark eye. It’s perfect for adding color to small spaces and thrives in warm microclimates across the region. Though treated as an annual, it blooms vigorously for one season.
Ideal Uses:
- Containers, hanging baskets, and patio railings
- Low fences and seasonal vertical displays
Care Tips:
- Full sun and rich, well-drained soil
- Consistent watering during hot spells
- Deadhead spent blooms to encourage new flowers
Not cold hardy; replant annually
Climbing Roses (Rosa spp.)
Climbing roses offer large seasonal blooms and a formal, established look when trained against walls or garden structures. They require more attention than other vines but reward gardeners with showy, repeat-blooming color throughout the season. Choose varieties adapted to regional zones for best success.
Ideal Uses:
- Arched entryways, arbors, and pergolas
- Garden focal points and vertical highlights
Care Tips:
- Full sun and nutrient-rich soil
- Deep, infrequent watering
- Prune in early spring and after bloom cycles
Support canes and secure with ties.
Frequently Asked Questions about Best Flowering Vines
What are the best flowering vines for shady areas in the Pacific Northwest?
Clematis and honeysuckle tolerate partial shade, and star jasmine can adapt to filtered light if planted in well-drained soil.
Which flowering vines are drought-tolerant in the PNW?
Black-eyed Susan vine and honeysuckle perform well in dry conditions once established. Clematis benefits from mulch to conserve moisture and minimize heat stress.
Can I grow flowering vines in containers?
Yes. Compact clematis and black-eyed Susan vines grow well in containers with added support structures and consistent watering.
When should I prune flowering vines?
Timing depends on the vine. Clematis should be pruned based on bloom group, climbing roses in early spring, and honeysuckle right after blooming.
Are flowering vines safe for pets?
Some vines may be toxic to pets. Passionflower and honeysuckle are generally safe in small quantities, while clematis and star jasmine should be avoided.
How to Use Flowering Vines in Garden Design
Flowering vines are a great addition to gardens in the Pacific Northwest, adding a pop of color and texture to your landscape. Vines can climb walls and fences, twine around trellises, or trail along the ground, creating an interesting and eye-catching visual.
Using flowering vines in your garden design is an excellent way to add color, texture, and scent to your landscape. Frontier Landscaping provides quality landscape installation and landscape maintenance services to keep your yard looking beautiful year-round. Give us a call today at (360) 574-8979.
