Vines That Grow on Saw Palm Trees

Deciduous

• Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is native to the north to southeastern United States and is a climbing vine with branched tendrils that allow the plant to adhere to other plants. Growing to lengths of 30 to 50 feet, this deciduous plant has a rapid growth rate. The dark green alternate compound palmate leaves change to purple or red during the fall. Eastern poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is a deciduous woody vine with a climbing habit. This indigenous plant to North America wraps itself around trees using them as support to grow. Eastern poison ivy has light green almond-shaped leaflets that develop in groups of three. In the autumn, the foliage takes on red and orange tones.

Evergreen

• Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is a 3 to 18-foot long evergreen vine that wraps itself around shrubs and trees. This North American plant has lustrous dark green oval-shaped leaves. Coral honeysuckle produces clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers in a variety of red to yellow tones. Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla) is a high climbing twining evergreen vine that originates from the eastern United States. The unique purple to purplish-brown flowers have a curved pipe like shape and bloom during early summer. Dutchman's pipe has dull green, heart-shaped leaves with an alternative arrangement.

Ornamental

• American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) is a native ornamental vine growing along the eastern coast of the United States. This tree climbing plant reaches lengths of 65 feet; however, the plant usually limits its growth to remain the same size of its host plant. Pendulous clusters of purplish-blue racemes blossom during late spring to early summer. Trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is an ornamental deciduous upright climbing vine with aerial root that attach to other plants. This 30- to 40-foot-long vine has deep green coarse leaves with an opposite configuration and pinnately compound form. Showy orange to scarlet colored tubular flowers blossom in clusters July through August.

Fruit Bearing

• Muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia) is a woody climbing vine with herbaceous tendrils and is endemic to the southeastern regions of the United States. Small pale-green panicles of flowers form along the plant's stems in mid-spring. Muscadine grape has light green berries which turn to dark purple during the summer when the grapes mature. Balsam apple or bitter cucumber (Momordica charantia) is an herbaceous subtropical to tropical vine originating from India and established in Florida. This annual vine forms tendrils used for climbing and twining around other plants. Balsam apple has deeply lobed dark green foliage with yellow blooms that appear June through July. The wart covered oblong fruits mature from September to November.