What Kind of Vines Bloom in the Fall?

Clematis

• Sweet autumn clematis (Clematis ternifolia), hardy in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 11, lives up to its common name, producing an abundance of fragrant, white star-shaped flowers in late summer/early fall. Reaching 10 to 15 feet in height and 6 to 10 feet in width, this climber can spread rapidly and may overtake other plants if crowded. Within the same hardiness range, Russian Virgin's Bower clematis (Clematis tangutica "Golden Tiara") offers yellow flowers with dark red centers on a vine that can reach 20 feet, blooming from August through October. Reaching a height of approximately 10 feet, downy clematis (Clematis macropetala) is sometimes a re-bloomer in USDA zones 4 through 9, repeating its spring to summer display of blue-purple flowers in autumn.

Honeysuckle

• Although some associate the smell of honeysuckle (Lonerica spp.) with summer heat, three varieties continue to bloom into September. Hardy in USDA zones 5 through 7, "Dropmore Scarlet" (Lonerica x brownii "Dropmore Scarlet") has bright, red-orange flowers followed by red-orange berries on a 10- to 12-foot twining vine. Goldflame honeysuckle (Lonerica x heckrotii) reaches 10 to 20 feet in height. Hardy in zones 5 through 8, it's known for a long season of red and yellow flowers. Equally large, trumpet honeysuckle (Lonerica sempervirens) is hardy from zones 4 through 9. Pairs of tubular, red-orange flowers are followed by red berries. Trumpet honeysuckle is sometimes called coral honeysuckle. Yellow- or pink-and-white flowered European honeysuckle (Lonica periclymenum), sometimes called woodbine, is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9; the flowers of "Winchester" (Lonerica periclymenum "Winchester") are purple and creamy white. All honeysuckle varieties are known to attract hummingbirds.

Cross Vine and Trumpet Vine

• Related and sometimes confused with each other, cross vine (Bignonia capreolata) and trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans) are large vines, reaching between 30 and 50 feet, depending on variety. Native from east Texas to Maryland and hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9, cross vine produces a flood of orange to red blooms in late spring, then blooms sporadically through summer and fall. Because it blooms on old wood, spring cutbacks can affect later flower production. Among cultivated varieties, "Tangerine Beauty" (Bignonia capreolata "Tangerine Beauty"), hardy in zones 5 or 6 through 9, and possibly zone 10, is valued for its heavy flowering. Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans; syn. Bignonia radicans) is native to eastern America, hardy in zones 4 through 10, and known for its abundant red or orange-yellow flowers and often overexuberant growth habit. Trumpet vine begins to bloom mid-summer and continues into the fall.

Passion Flowers

• Blue passion flower (Passiflora caerulea), hardy in USDA zones 6 through 9, can reach a height of 12 feet. Ornate flowers yield in fall to orange fruit, but some blooms may persist into fall. Maypop passion flower (Passiflora incarnata) tolerates the cold winters of zone 5 as well. Originally tropical natives, passion flower vines have adapted well to cooler climates and bloom on new wood.

Annual Vines

• Among a wealth of annual vines, canary creeper (Tropaeolum peregrinum) can be grown as a perennial in USDA zones 9 and 10. It reaches approximately 12 feet, with fringed yellow flowers from summer through fall. Another tender perennial/annual, hardy in zones 9b through 11 and known as a fall bloomer, Thunbergia grandiflora is known as "blue-sky vine" and "Bengal clock vine." Flowers are large and range from blue-violet to lavender. In zones 8 through 11, create a big splash of vivid pink from June through October with coral vine (Antigonon leptopus).