Native Plants For All Seasons

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By Carla Burgess | March 2007

Flowering Vines

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), sometimes called trumpet honeysuckle, is on the short list of North Carolina’s most show-stopping native vines. Large clusters of 2-inch-long rich-red tubular flowers (yellow inside) cover the semi-evergreen foliage in spring. It is found in the shade of woodlands in the eastern half of the country. Give it sun and a trellis, mailbox or fence to climb and it will claim the space without swallowing your yard like the invasive Japanese honeysuckle. Coral honeysuckle is easy to discern from the non-native species by its leaves, which are opposite each other in pairs along the stem. It is irresistible to hummingbirds. Two other hummingbird favorites are crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) and trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans). These vines are engulfed in spring with orange blossoms. The vines are aggressive, so they are best suited to a natural area where they can climb trees or a substantial structure like the wall of a shed or barn. A large trellis in an area apart from cultivated beds and borders is also a good choice—especially where it would be practical to mow around it to control the many root suckers. Crossvine blooms earliest, with dark-orange and yellow flowers that are wider than trumpet creeper’s and shorter, about 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. The dark green leaves are evergreen in warmer climates. Flowers of trumpet creeper are longer, 2 1/2 to 3 inches, with an orange exterior and rosy-orange interior. It blooms later and longer than crossvine, from early summer on. The foliage is made up of glossy, fernlike leaflets. The plant dies back in winter. Probably the most widely used native vine is Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), prized for its evergreen leaves and the sweet perfume of its yellow late-winter blossoms. The vines have a twining habit. The foliage takes on a bronzy-red tint in winter.

For those who appreciate a more delicate floral display, there’s no topping the exquisite flowers of some of the native Clematis species. C. viorna has a bell-shaped, rosy-purple flower with a curled, cream-colored lip. C. virginiana, or virgin’s bower, is sometimes confused with the non-native sweet autumn clematis. It has clusters of small, fragrant, white flowers in late summer, followed by highly ornamental feathery seedheads. It can be invasive, so keep it out of cultivated areas.

More rambling than viney, climbing aster (Aster carolinianus) can be either staked or left alone to ramble through perennial beds. This deciduous charmer is covered in fragrant, lavender-pink flowers from late summer through fall. An unusual native worth seeking out is Cocculus carolinus, known as Carolina coralbead or snail seed. With large, ivy-shaped leaves and round clusters of bright red berries in late summer, it’s sure to keep your neighbors guessing.

If you have a smaller garden but still want to try some of the more vigorous vines mentioned here, try planting them in a sunken bucket to limit suckering and keep them trimmed back.