How to Identify Climbing Vines in Oregon

Note the color, size and clustering pattern of the leaves on the climbing vine. When noting color, be as specific as possible; for example, choosing pink or maroon as the coloring instead of just red if the leaf color more closely matches pink or maroon, and estimate the length of the leaves in inches. When noting the cluster pattern of leaves, pay attention to the number of leaves that come from each stem.

Note the blossoms or lack thereof on the vine. Determine the closest coloring of the blossoms, such as yellow, purple or white, and how noticeable the blossoms are on the plant.

Pay attention to any fruit on climbing vines. Note both the coloring of the fruit and the fruit's shape, such as round, cylindrical or pod-shaped.

Enter the information about the climbing vine that you want to identify into the Woody Plant Identification System on the Oregon State University website and click "Search" to bring up plants that match your criteria. The website provides detailed descriptions and pictures that will help you identify the climbing vine.

Browse the list of "Native and Naturalized Woody Plants of Oregon" on the Oregon State University website if you cannot find the climbing vine that you want to identify using the Woody Plant Identification System. The list features most of the plants found in the state, along with details and photos.