Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Saturday - May 24, 2014
From: San Diego, CA
Region: California
Topic: Vines
Title: Vine for yard with morning sun in California
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hi, What is a good perennial vine to grow on the front of our house? We would like a fragrant flower too. It will be on a wood support beam, helping cover some pipes we have there. It will be an east facing vine, thus only sun in the morning until noonish. Thanks.ANSWER:
Here are some candidate native California vines that grow in or very near San Diego County. They are all perennials, most have fragrant flowers and two of them have edible fruit. The first three will grow in sun and part shade. The grapes prefer full sun but if your area has close to 6 hours of sun, that will probably be adequate.
Clematis lasiantha (Pipestem clematis) Here is more information from The Watershed Nursery.
Clematis ligusticifolia (Western white clematis) Here is more information from Yerba Buena Nursery which says that it is fragrant.
Lonicera hispidula (Pink honeysuckle) Here is more information from Las Piliatas Nursery and Mostly Natives Nursery who say that it is fragrant.
Vitis californica (California grape) has fragrant flowers and makes edible fruit. Here is more information from Las Pilitas Nursery and from Sonoma County Master Gardeners.
Vitis girdiana (Desert wild grape) also has fragrant flowers and makes edible fruit. Here is more information from Las Pilitas Nursery and Theodore Payne Foundation.
From the Image Gallery
More Vines Questions
Problem with acanthus in Vancouver BC
May 16, 2010 - My girlfriend's Mom just planted an Acanthus in her garden. In the morning, it apparently stands up tall, but in the evening it bends over until the the leaves are lying in the dirt. She's concerned...
view the full question and answer
Vines to Cover Brush Pile in Maryland
April 29, 2013 - We have a large brush pile on our property that we'd intended to burn, but it is big enough now that it would require the help of the fire department! I'm thinking I'd like to cover it with native ...
view the full question and answer
Vine non-toxic to alpacas and dogs from Fowler CA
June 29, 2012 - We have alpacas and would like to plant a flowering vine on a backyard fence that adjoins the pasture. We live in Central California so we have many hot days during the summer and would like a plan...
view the full question and answer
Few blooms on native Bignonia capriolata (cross-vine)
March 25, 2008 - I have an 8-year-old crossvine that has grown and bloomed beautifully until this year. During the winter it lost all of its lower leaves. What leaves were left had brownish-red splotches on them. It h...
view the full question and answer
Vine with 5 pointed deep lobed leaves and small white flowers
June 21, 2015 - I recently happened upon a very peculiar vine. It has 5 pointed very deep lobed leaves, that are semi hairy on both the top and bottom with small white flowers that emerge from the same part of the st...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |