Plants can be used to create a shady screen for a porch, deck or arbor. Vines growing on a trellis provide some of the privacy of an indoor space, outdoors. Many screening plants are highly ornamental, with attractive flowers, foliage or fruits. Once established, perennial vines and hardy climbing roses are low- maintenance additions to the home landscape, requiring only water, yearly pruning or training, and, perhaps, fertilizing. Annual vines are inexpensive and grow quickly after planting, providing an informal screen with colorful flowers.

Most vines climb by twisting around a support. Some anchor themselves by means of tendrils and still others use suction cups or root-like growths to cling to a wall or trellis. Trellises can be made of wood, fencing, wires or twine, depending on the growth habit of the vine. For vines that climb by twining, supports of any shape and size, from a single strand of wire to a three-inch wide piece of wood, can provide support. If a vine climbs by means of tendrils, finer supports are necessary. Tendrils can grip twine, wire and narrow stakes, like bamboo, but cannot hold on to larger supports. Vines that cling by means of suction cups or rootlike holdfasts can climb up a wall without any support, or cling to a wooden trellis. Ideally, a trellis for any vine would include both vertical and horizontal members for best support.

Plants on the following lists are suitable for parts or all of Minnesota.

Woody and herbaceous perennial vines

Plant bare-root or container stock in spring. The first year's growth may be small while the plant establishes its root system, but subsequent years' growth will be more vigorous. Some of these plants die back to the ground each winter in Minnesota and come up from the roots in spring; others are hardier and survive on the trellis. Prune out dead wood in early spring and train new shoots to cover the trellis. All the twining vines except honeysuckle twist up around supports from left to right. Be sure to train the vine in the direction it naturally grows or it will fall back off the support.

Genus species	Common name	Features	Climbing mechanism	USDA hardiness zone	Dies back?	Growth rate; total height	Light requirements
* Notes
Actinidia arguta	hardy kiwi	red petioles, dense screen, edible fruit after very mild winters	twining	4	yes	12'-15'/year	part shade
*Separate male and female plants are normally required for fruiting; 'Issai' is a self-fertile female.
Actinidia kolomikta	arctic beauty kiwi	variegated pink/white/green foliage, berry-sized edible fruits	twining	3	may	10'/year	part shade
*Separate male and female plants are required for fruiting.
Ampelopsis brevipedunculata	porcelain berry	blue inedible fruit	tendrils	4	yes	15'/year	sun to part shade
Aristolochia durior (A. macrophylla)	Dutchman's pipe	dense screen, coarse foliage	twining	4	no	6'/year; up to 30'	sun to part shade
Campsis radicans	trumpet vine	large red-orange flowers	clinging	4	may	15'/year; up to 30'	full sun
*May flower best in a protected site with somewhat dry, poor soil.
Celastrus scandens	American bittersweet	orange and yellow fruits	twining	2	no	10'/year; to 30' or more	sun to part shade
*Separate male and female plants are required for fruiting; 'Indian Maid' and 'Indian Brave' are varieties of known sex.
Clematis hybrids	clematis	large purple, white, pink or maroon flowers, delicate foliage	modified petioles act as tendrils	4	yes	8'-12'/year	full sun to part shade
*Roots need to stay cool; mulch or provide shade at the base of the plants. Some clematis hybrids bloom on the previous season's growth; if these varieties die back, they will not flower. Choose varieties such as 'Jackman', 'Comtesse de Bouchard' and 'Huldine' that bloom on the current season's growth.
Clematis texensis	scarlet clematis	red or pink flowers, delicate foliage	modified petioles act as tendrils	4	yes	12'/year	full sun to part shade
*Roots need to stay cool; mulch or provide shade at the base of the plants. 'Duchess of Albany' is a popular variety.
Humulus lupulus	hop vine	fast growth, green flowers used to flavor beer	twining	3	yes	20'-30'/year	sun to part shade
Lonicera x brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet'	Dropmore scarlet honeysuckle	red flowers	twining	3	no	6'/year; up to 20'	sun to part shade
*Trellis must be sturdy to support the weight of this vine.
Parthenocissus quinquefolia	Virginia creeper	dense screen, red fall color	clinging, tendrils with suction cups	2	no	10'/year; up to 50'	full sun to deep shade
*The variety 'Englemannii', sold as Engelmann ivy, is widely available and has more delicate foliage than the species.
Parthenocissus tricuspidata	Boston ivy	dense screen, red fall color, clings to masonry	clinging, tendrils with suction cups	2	no	10'/year; up to 50'	full sun to deep shade
*Tiny suction cups are difficult to scrape off window screens, wood, metal, masonry or painted surfaces.
Vitis riparia	riverbank grape	dense screen, fragrant whitish flowers, sour fruits used for jelly, juice	tendrils	2	no	15'/year; up to 40'	sun to deep shade
*Male and female plants normally necessary for fruit, but plants of known sex are generally not available. The cultivar 'Beta', however, has both male and female flower parts and will produce fruit if planted alone.
Vitis hybrids	grape	dense shade, edible fruit	tendrils	varies	may	10'-15'/year; up to 30'	full sun
*See "Growing Grapes in Minnesota" for culture. For best fruiting, grapes are pruned hard, so may not make a good screen.
Wisteria macrostachya 'Aunt Dee'	Aunt Dee wisteria	pale purple flowers on previous season's growth	twining	4	may	8'/year	sun

Climbing Roses

Roses have no tendrils, so they can't twine or cling; they must be tied to a trellis. These varieties need no special winter protection as far north as USDA zone 3 (zone 4 in the case of 'Seven Sisters'), so they can stay up on the trellis. Other long-caned varieties could be used as screens, but would need to be lowered and protected during winter. All grow best in full sun, and produce abundant blooms in June. Plant bare-root or container stock in spring. Use rose fertilizer regularly during the growing season for best growth and bloom.

Hardy Climbing Rose Cultivars

Cultivar	Flower Characteristics	Rebloom pattern		Length of canes
		July	August/September
'John Cabot'	fuchsia	good	excellent	5'-6'
'John Davis'	pink, fragrant	good	good	5'-8'
'Henry Kelsey'	red	slight	good	6'-7'
'William Baffin'	pink	slight	good	7'-9'
'Seven Sisters'	rose, pink and lilac in clusters of 7	none	none	10'

Annual Vines

Plant seeds of these vines at the base of the trellis as soon as soil has warmed in May or early June. Space plants fairly closely, six to eight inches apart, to provide the densest screen.