South Florida Fragrant vines for trellis

15 years ago

Hi, first post here just found the forum. Looking to cover a trellis 18' wide with a fragrant vine. The thought of Hummingbirds stopping by would be a big plus.

Here's my dilemma, I live in South East Florida (zone 9), the trellis is on the north side of the house, and gets DIRECT afternoon sun, shaded in the morning.

My questions are these: Can anyone suggest a faster-growing vine that will be fragrant and prosper in the direct Florida sun? Would it be best to mix and match vines to get color/fragrance/hummingbird attraction?

Thanks for the help

Featured Answer

PRO

Chris Diamond Gardening and Horticulture

7 years ago

Stephanotis floribunda. I'm a professional gardener and I'm not a big fan of Confederate jasmine. It only blooms for about 3 months and is a PITA(imo) to maintain. I'm not a big fan of anything with sap. Stephanotis is a pretty tame vine and has more prolific blooms. Quisqualis(Rangoon creeper) has an odd smell. I personally think it smells weird. Very aggressive to and really needs to be planted on an arbor.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

julieyankfan
15 years ago
I have an arbor in the front of my house, facing west. It gets morning shade and sun the rest of the day. I tried mandevilla, but it didn't do well, so I planted confederate jasmine, one on each side and it is great! It bloomed for weeks and just stopped blooming this week, but it will bloom off and on thru the summer and again in the fall. It is very fast growing and the deep green foliage is nice all year. It's very fragrant, but the flowers are white, so I can't help you with the color part. I'm in zone 9, also.

Julie
zenzilla
15 years ago
The best for hummingbirds would be Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) Unfotunately it is not fragrant but can handle salt spray, direct sun and is drought tolerant.
Related Discussions
Want - fragrant native azaleas
Q
Comments (0)
I would love to find any fragrant native azaleas that will survive the heat of the South. I am looking for: Rhododendron arborescens Rhododendron canescens Rhododendron austrinum (Florida azalea) Rhododendron alabamense Rhododendron prinophyllum Rhododendron viscosum Any other native azalea that is really fragrant will be much appreciated. I believe many of these, if not all, can reseed, and some might be able to be rooted. I would love a rooted plant from a cutting or a seed. It does not have to be a large plant, just have a healthy root system. I can send you an Oakleaf hydrangea, flowering quince, indigofera, forsythia cutting/possibly rooted, grape hyacinths, toad lily seedlings, oregano, night-blooming cereus cutting (tropical) plus any others on my exchange list. All of the plants I will send will be somewhat small because they will be mailed, and because they are just starting out from seed or the parent plant. Let me know what you are looking for. Some of the plants I have are dormant, and some I cannot send until they come back from the winter. Others, like the gardenia, I will have to root and will need summer heat to do so. The best of these plants (that you'll need to wait for) are: Gardenia rooted Brugmansia rooted Butterfly vine rooted Hosta - green leaves/white flowers If you have a fragrant azalea to trade, let me know what you are looking for. I may be able to find it and send it to you. Thank you for sharing any fragrant native azalea.
...See More
Fragrant vine
Q
Comments (1)
I have Clematis triternata "Rubromarginata". It is very sweet smelling and the flowers are really quite small and very delicate. Very pretty. And would suit the size of your trellis well. I like the fact that you simply trim it down to the first/second set of healthy buds early in the spring. Easy to prune!
...See More
Please Help me choose vine(s) for South Wall
Q
Comments (21)
Thank you all for your input! Hubby and I are leaning towards the parthenocissus for the majority of the wall planted somewhere near the right (front) end. But I'm not sure which species would do well in my climate zone and in these conditions where the sun would be on that section for the entire day. Mine is fine with sun hitting it the entire day. If the leaves look scorched, water a bit more. Avoid P. quinquefolia (Viginia creeper) because it is too rampant. Named varieties of other species will be more tame. Expect a year or two to establish a good root system before the plant really takes off, but you should get some coverage the first year. Also, if those sticky suckers flake off, will the plant be at risk of falling off the wall? No. If some bit of the plant accidentally gets pulled off the wall, just cut that part off because it won't re-attach. A new bit will grow and stick on its own. Also, I'd still like to do one bougainvillea on the opposite corner. Anyone have tips for pruning to keep it the shape I want? Use a hedge trimmer and just shear it close to the wall. Bougies bloom on new growth, so new growth = flowers, so cutting back = more flowers, not less (within reason). Do not trim a baby plant too much. Let it establish. I'd like to have it climb up the wall at the corner and then most trail across the top section of the wall. In this situation where it will be attaching itself to the wall, how can I help direct its growth since there's nothing to tie pieces to as one would if growing on a trellis. Bougies won't attach themselves. You will have to install some strong wires or a trellis and use them to attach. Would also appreciate help on choosing a bougainvillea veiety suitable to this location/climate. I'm hoping "Orange Ice" will work because I really love the colors. A non-red color will be much less rampant and would be a good choice. Check on performance for that particular variety in your area--have you seen one growing in your neighborhood that looks good? Plant bougies in June or July when the soil is warm and do not disturb the rootball. Baby bougies are easily killed because the roots are so frail and brittle and need warmth. Established bougies are nearly impossible to kill. For planting slit the planting pot up, place the pot in the planting hole and gently pull out the pieces of the pot, leaving the roots as undisturbed as you can. Should I purchase online or would local nursery be better to ensure getting plants that are best for my area? If you have a good quality garden center nearby, that should be fine. Neither genus is particularly rare or hard to find.
...See More
Fast-growing vine for privacy trellis
Q
Comments (14)
Thanks Bill! I looked this one up. Has anyone had good success in 5b / 6a? Gelsemium sempervirens 'Margarita' Carolina jessamine FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Gelsemium sempervirens ‘Margarita’ is a striking native vine. Plants have glossy lance shaped evergreen leaves and an abundance of fragrant yellow trumpet shaped flowers. This vigorous twining vine thrives in moist soils in full sun to part shade. HABITAT & HARDINESS: Gelsemium sempervirens ranges through the southeastern United States from USDA Zones 7-9. Plants occur from Virginia to Florida and west to east Texas. The cultivar ‘Margarita’ was selected for its large showy flowers by Don Jacobs of Eco Gardens in Decatur, Georgia. Jacobs named the plant for his wife and introduced it into the nursery trade. It has since proven to have superior cold tolerance and is hardy from USDA Zones 6-9.
...See More
tannatonk23_fl_z9a
15 years ago
Hi Tom,

Welcome to the friendliest gardening forum on the web! These people are amazing and so willing to share information, seeds, plants, etc.

I have a passionvine (Passiflora caerulea) planted in those exact conditions. It THRIVES!!! Continuous flowering and the flowers are fragrant but you need to get real close to notice. Not a hummingbird attractor but the butterflies like it.

I think your most fragrant vines would be the jasmines.

And for a hummingbird attractor you can't beat coral honeysuckle. They are all over mine everyday.

A combination jasmine and coral honeysuckle would fit your bill.

And have you visited floridata dot com? I'll include a link. You can search by type of plant (vine) and then narrow it further by other characteristics.

Here is a shot of my passie and honeysuckle.

Hope this helps!
~Betsy

Here is a link that might be useful: Floridata clicky
annafl
15 years ago
Welcome, Tom! Hey, one of my very favorite, very fragrant, beautiful vines is rangoon creeper. It comes in a single and a double variety. It blooms most vigorously in May, but on and off during all the summer months. It seems the hummers would like it, but I don't know for sure. During very cold spells it can go deciduous. Pretty foliage, great vine. I used to have one and sit close to it drinking my morning coffee just to enjoy the incredible fragrance. I will have one again, I just need to find the perfect spot. Google it. Crowleys in Sarasota has them, but I'm sure others do as well.

Anna
jay-wpb
15 years ago
The most fragrant vine in my yard is that of the bitter melon - a vegetable. It can be used as a privacy fence - thats how thick it grows. But cold spells will kill it.
SaintPFLA
15 years ago
I agree with the recommendations here...I would plant two vines. One being confederate jasmine for the fragrance and another to attract the hummers.

I have a segment of fenceline that is covered with jasmine and cape honeysuckle. While Cape Honeysuckle is not a true vine, it acts vine-like in that it can growth very tall and grows quickly, but is easily kept in bounds by annual trimming. Hummers love it too.

Morning Glory is another hummer favorite, but sends out a lot of volunteers.

Have you considered a climbing rose to mix with jasmine? Don Juan would be a good recommendation.
jeenie
15 years ago
I can't seem to find a garden center or a nursery that sells coral honeysuckle. Can anyone suggest a place in Sarasota?
nighthawk0911
7 years ago
Star Jasmine - my favorite

South Florida Fragrant vines for trellis

Chris Diamond Gardening and Horticulture

Comments (9)

julieyankfan

zenzilla

Related Discussions

tannatonk23_fl_z9a

annafl

jay-wpb

SaintPFLA

jeenie

nighthawk0911

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US