Vines - Heirloom Garden Plants

Aristolochia durior  syn. A. macrophylla, A sipho   Dutchman’s pipe, Birthwort  Z 4-8
Yellow, mottled brown flowers like Meerschaum pipes in May – June, mostly grown for heart-shaped leaves on this vigorous climber (climbs by twining). Perfect for creating a screen on pergolas, arbors and fences.

Size: 20-30’ x 2’ at ground, 20’ on top. 
Care: sun to shade (one of few vines for shade) in moist well-drained to moist soil. Pruning encourages branching. 
Native: Maine to Georgia, west to KS.
Wildlife value: host for caterpillar of Pipevine swallowtail butterfly 

Aristolochia  is Greek for easing childbirth.  Cherokee applied decoction of root for swollen legs & feet.  Collected by Colonial nurseryman John Bartram and sent to England in 1763.  Sold in America’s 1^st plant catalog, Bartram’s Broadside, 1783. In Colonial and Victorian gardens, popular vine to create privacy and shade. 

Campsis radicans      Trumpet vine    Z 5-9
Mid summer into autumn  - huge, gorgeous orange trumpets on vigorous vine

Size: 30’ x 3’ at base     
Care: sun  moist well-drained soil  
Native:  PA to IL & south as far as Florida
Wildlife value: Hummingbird magnet.

In garden cultivation in America since 1600’s.  Collected in 1640’s by Tradescant the Younger. John Bartram grew it in his Philadelphia nursery nearly 300 years ago.  Campsis is derived from the Greek word kampsis referring to the flower’s curved stamens.  Radicans from radicant meaning “having rooted stems.” The bloom is “a most splendid sight,” according to Breck in 1851.  Per Liberty Hyde Bailey in 1912: “The native trumpet creeper is very common in the southern woodlands and fields (with) a great variety in brilliancy of the blossoms.  This is an excellent plant for covering the bare trunks of palmettos.”  Pressed specimen in Emily Dickinson’s herbarium.

Celastrus scandens      Bittersweet, Staff vine  Z 3-8
Conspicuous orange fruit from autumn, persisting into winter.  Makes wonderful fall decoration.
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Size:  20-30' x 6'  
Care:  Full sun to part shade well-drained soil.  Drought tolerant
Native:  Eastern half of North America west to South Dakota and south to New Mexico, Wisconsin native

Name Celastrus derived from Greek "kelastros".  In the mid-1800's an ointment made from a half pound of Bittersweet root bark simmered with one pound of lard used for "swelled breasts, discuss or drive away tumors or swellings and also for piles." Cherokee drank a tea for stomach ailments, chewed the root to cure coughs and washed away bad smells with Bittersweet.  In 1933 William Robinson, father of the mixed border garden, called this vine "valuable for its rapid twining growth, for trailing over trellis-work and arbors."  1^st collected by Rev. John Banister who moved to colonial Virginia in 1678.  A gunman mistakenly shot and killed him while he collected plants. 

Clematis heracleifolia     Z 3-8
Tubular sky blue flowers with recurved petals (flips up at the ends) in August & September decorate this woody shrub

Size:  30" x 3'      
Care:  sun in moist well-drained soil    
Native:  China

Collected by French missionary Armand David before 1841.  "A sub-shrubby kind from China, bearing large quantities of tubular blue flowers in July and August. "  H.H. Thomas 1915

Clematis integrifolia    Z 3-7
Summer, real true blue and sometimes white,  pendant flowers measuring 2" across.

Size:  24" x 24"  
Care: Sun to part shade well-drained soil. Prune to near ground in early spring.          
Native:  Central Europe

The genus Clematis was named by Dioscordes, physician in Nero's army, from "klema" meaning climbing plant.  It's not really a vine, it only gets 2' tall, maybe 3' and it doesn't climb, but you can prop it up with a trellis.  But it's a Clematis and one of the best - blue most of the summer, you can't beat that, so here it is. This species collected in Hungary by 1573.  Gerard grew this plant by the late 1590's.  C. integrifolia  cultivated in the U.S. by 1851.

Clematis stans    Japanese clematis   Z 4-8
Fragrant, smelling of sweet violets, soulful blue starry nodding bells with petals that flip up at the ends (recurved) Blooms August - September. 

Size: 30" x 24"   
Care: sun to part shade
Native:  Japan

Stans means "upright" as this is a bush, rather than a vine.  In Japan called "Kusa-botan." Collected by Ernest Henry ‘Chinese' Wilson before 1910. 

Clematis ternifolia  syn. C. paniculata  Sweet Autumn clematis  Z 4-8
Fragrant, small white blossoms smother this vigorous vine in September and October.

Size:  15-20’ x  6-10’         
Care:  Sun moist well-drained soil mulched.  Flowers on current year’s wood. Cut back in early spring to 6-8” above the soil.            
Native:  Japan

The genus Clematis was named by Dioscordes, physician in Nero’s army, from “klema” meaning climbing plant.  In 1877 seeds sent from Russia to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston then distributed to nurseries throughout America.

Clematis texensis ‘Gravetye Beauty’  Z 5-9
Burgundy-red bells dangle from July to September

Size:  8’  x  3’             
Care:  Full sun in fertile, moist well-drained soil.  Mulch around the base.  Flowers on current year’s stems so cut back to 6-8” above ground in late winter or early spring.

The genus Clematis was named by Dioscordes, physician in Nero’s army, from klema meaning “climbing plant.” The species texensis  1^st collected by the “Father of Texas Botany” Ferdinand Lindheimer in 1830’s.  French nurseryman Francisque Morel sent this selection to William Robinson.  Robinson named it for his English nursery at Gravetye Manor in 1914. 

Clematis virginiana  Virgin’s bower, Devil’s darning needles  Z 4-8
July-September star-like white blossoms cover this vine – good for clambering up small trees.

Size:  12-20’ x 4’         
Care:  Sun to shade moist well-drained soil. Flowers on new stems so cut back in late winter or early spring to 6-8” above the ground.
Native:  Nova Scotia to Georgia and as far west as Kansas, Wisconsin native

The genus Clematis was named by Dioscordes, physician in Nero’s army, from “klema” meaning climbing plant. One of 1^st No. American plants sent to Europe – grew in Tradescant the Elder’s South Lambeth nursery in 1634.  Grown by Jefferson at Monticello in 1807.  Described by Breck in his 1851 book The Flower Garden: “The flowers are white borne upon cymes, and make a handsome appearance.”  Cherokee mixed this plant with milkweed to remedy backaches.  A root extract cured stomach aches, nervous conditions and kidney ailments.  For the Iroquois powdered root fixed venereal disease sores and an extract of the stem brought on strange dreams.  Pressed specimen in Emily Dickinson’s herbarium.

Clematis viticella   ‘Betty Corning’  Z 3-9
Pendulous lavender trumpets with bodacious flares bloom profusely, blooming machine all summer into fall.

Size: 8-10’ x 8’ 
Care: sun to shade in moist well-drained soil.  Prune back to 1’ above ground in early spring.

Selection of a cross between Clematis crispa and C. viticella, made in 1932 by Betty Corning.  Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanic Garden Great Plant Pick award and England’s Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit. 

Clematis x durandii     Z 5-9
Big, deep indigo saucers  - all summer.  The best short Clematis.

Size:  3-6' x 3'    
Care:  Full sun in moist well-drained to well-drained soil    Prune back to a few inches above the ground in April. Needs staking or let it sprawl.

Cross of C. integrifolia and C. x Jackmanii, of garden origin.  Hybrid from Durand in Freres France in 1874.  William Robinson, father of mixed perennial borders, called this “effective and free.” (1933) Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden Great Plant Pick.

Humulus lupulus     Hops  Z 4-8
Vigorous 20' tall climber bearing papery cones, green turning straw colored from August to October.

Size:  20' x  3'   
Care:  Sun to part shade in moist to moist well-drained soil      
Native:  Europe
Wildlife values:  attracts butterflies

Transported from continental Europe to England in 1524.  Flowers used for brewing since ancient times. Added to ale to add flavor and as a preservative.  In the late 1500's Gerard claimed that hops seasoned ale and"make it a physical drinke to keep the body in health, rather than an ordinary drinke for the quenching of our thirst."  Russians crowned the heads of brides with its foliage to bring "joy, abundance and intoxication."  Others put dried hops into pillows to relieve insomnia.  Imported to America by the mid 1600's where it was used for its ornamental qualities, to provide shade and to make beer.   Cherokee adopted hops to relieve pain caused by rheumatism. Grown by Jefferson.  

Lathyrus latifolius      Everlasting pea   Z 5-9   
Rosy pink or white plump pea flowers all summer into fall.  Deadhead for rebloom.  The easiest and longest blooming vine to grow.

Size:  5' x 2'  
Care:  full sun in moist well-drained to well-drained soil   
Native:  southern Europe

Lathrys is Greek for "pea." Grown in Europe before 1590's. Called "Pease everlasting." Thomas Jefferson planted this at both Shadwell, his birth place, and at Monticello. "Favorite climber for fences, screens, arbors and porches." H.H. Thomas 1915. Received England's Royal Horticultural Society Award of Merit.

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Parthenocissus quinquefolia  Virginia creeper  Z 3-9
Spring leaves bronzy, turn green in summer and then brilliant scarlet in autumn, with contrasting blue berries with red stems.

Size:  50’  x 10' 
Care:  Either sun or shade in well-drained soil      
Native:  Eastern No. America

Parthenocissus is Greek meaning “virgin ivy.” Cultivated in American gardens since 1700’s.  Sent to England by Tradescant the Younger in the 1640’s. Grown by Jefferson. Received England’s Royal Horticultural Society Award of Merit.