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
Wednesday - March 20, 2013
From: Concord, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Privacy Screening, Vines
Title: Evergreen vine for screen
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
We have pretty much "dead" red-tipped photinia bushes and old pine trees that have seen better days, on a steep hillside. We need to remove and replace with a more natural setting, with some terracing. My main question is- at the top of our hill, separating us from the neighbor, is a chain link fence. I would like to plant some evergreen "screening" vine along that fence line. We live just north of Charlotte, NC. Vine does not need to be flowering, and would prefer not! Any suggestions?ANSWER:
There are only a few evergreen vines native to your area of North Carolina and the majority of those have showy flowers. All the vines below should do a good job of covering your fence.
Bignonia capreolata (Crossvine) is evergreen with showy yellow and red flowers. Here are more photos and information from Duke University.
Gelsemium sempervirens (Carolina jessamine) is evergreen with showy yellow flowers. Here are more photos and information from Duke University.
Gelsemium rankinii (Swamp jessamine) is evergreen with yellow flowers and grows in wet places. Here are photos and more information from Virginia Tech and Learn to Grow.
Lonicera sempervirens (Coral honeysuckle) is evergreen with red flowers. Here are more photos and information from Duke University.
Smilax laurifolia (Laurel greenbriar) is semi-evergreen to evergreen, has thorns and inconspicuous flowers. Here are photos and more information from Virginia Tech and Duke University.
Smilax smallii (Lanceleaf greenbrier) is evergreen with small inconspicuous flowers and a fast growth rate. Here are photos and more information from Georgia Wildlife Federation and Online Plant Guide.com.
From the Image Gallery
More Vines Questions
Plant identification for vine in Georgia
April 26, 2010 - A wild vine is taking over our cypress tree. Cypress tree is in our yard beside the fence. Very thick woods behind our fence. Leafs, on vine, resemble small maple leafs. It has orange flower balls....
view the full question and answer
Vines for a cliff in backyard
October 17, 2010 - I have a large (25 ft) cliff in my backyard. Its too large to
use a retaining wall and occasionally some of the caliche slides down. I'm planning on planting vines at the top and letting them drape...
view the full question and answer
Seed planting of Crossvine from Orlando FL
September 12, 2011 - Seed planting of Bignonia capreolata - Tangerine Beauty. I have seed pods. Do I plant how deep and should I put in a plastic bag with a wet papertowel in the refrigerator and let it sprout? ...
view the full question and answer
Want to identify thorny vines growing in Charlotte Hall, MD
April 25, 2013 - I have vines with thorns growing in my wood, vining around the trees and killing them. It grows and vines go up trees of any height all the way to the top. It has green pointy leaves. If it doesn't...
view the full question and answer
Coral Honeysuckle suitability for Central Texas Fence
September 05, 2012 - I recently purchased a house in Liberty Hill. My backyard is enclosed by an iron fence (painted). I am interested in creating a habitat for birds, so I'm thinking of planting coral honeysuckle vine...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |