Disguising unattractive fencesSupplying fall colorAdorning mailboxes and lamppostsRambling over stone walls"Roofing" a shade-giving arbor
Arctic kiwi vine (Actinidia kolomikta) or arctic kiwifruit vine lives up to its name, as it is hardy to -40 F. Arctic kiwi vine is a twining vine, reaching heights of 10 feet or more. The main attraction for planting arctic kiwi vines in the landscape is their variegated leaves, a characteristic more prominent in the males—and in the spring season. Each leaf may contain the colors white, green and pink. And as you can see from the autumn clematis picture above, that blooming is a sight to behold! Its full common name is “sweet autumn clematis”—the “sweet” deriving from the sweetness of its flowers’ fragrance. If you value a tree, don’t let a climbing euonymus take hold on it: these vigorous vines will eventually cover so much of the tree’s foliage as to impede photosynthesis. Climbing hydrangea vines are valued as being one of the (relatively) few flowering vines that can tolerate shade. The picture above shows a wild grapevine in bloom. The sweet fragrance exuded by wild grapevines at harvest time to be truly one of the delights of autumn. The golden foliage is a nice addition to your fall landscaping, as well. One use for these climbers is disguising chain-link fencing. Another idea is to build a lattice screen and let the plants climb up it to create a more ornamental feature. Climbing is accomplished via tendrils. They can grow as high as eight feet. However, trumpet vines are high-maintenance plants. They’re very invasive, so they must constantly be kept in check. But for denizens of North America, we recommend American wisteria vines. Not only are the latter less invasive plants, but they also bloom more quickly. The “leaflets 3” rhyme that helps you remember what poison ivy looks like is helpful, but not of much use against Boston ivy, before the leaves of the latter mature. Young Boston ivy can also have “leaflets 3.” Once it matures, however, Boston ivy bears simple leaves, as distinct from the compound leaves of poison ivy. The photo above shows the autumn foliage of Virginia creeper vines. The autumn foliage of Virginia creeper varies, but it is often red or reddish-orange.
