Vines That Can Grow in Full Shade
Below you will find a list of Vines from our plant database that can grow in deep shade. If you click on any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant.
Uses for these vines vary by variety, and may thrive in full shade, partial shade or even full sun. Flowering vines that flourish in shady areas may do equally well in wet soil, average moisture or dry conditions. The vines can be grown on trellises and pergolas, around patios and decks, under trees, and directly on walls.
Many plants with variegated leaves lose the richness of the variegation in the shade. A great example of a popular vine that holds the bright contrast of green and white on its leaves is Variegated Japanese Star Jasmine or Trachelospermum asiaticum. This Jasmine will tolerate a wide range of shade and soil moisture for everything except full sun.
Some of the vines for shady conditions are native plants which frequently helps the plants have more natural disease resistance, be more insect resistant and salt tolerant. Many of these vines are successfully used in stressful urban settings. A widely used low-maintenance native vine is Virginia Creeper or Parthenocissus quinquefolia. Interestingly, Boston Ivy or Parthenocissus tricuspidata isn't native. This Ivy is from Japan but got the common name for its toughness in blanketing the walls of many old homes and buildings in Massachusetts and New England with the rugged weather conditions there. A much less well-known native plant for dark areas that also tolerates a wide range of conditions is Carolina Moonseed also known as Coral Bells, Snailseed or Cocculus carolinus. It ranges naturally from the hot, high-humidity summer of Virginia, Georgia and Florida to the cold, dry winters of Illinois all the way to the baking heat and intense winter storms of Texas.
As you look at the thumbnail images of the climbing vines in this list, you will see that many also flower, have lovely fall or Autumn leaf colors, or beautiful fruits. You may be surprised at the diversity in the list of these vines for the home garden, since some more often thought of as groundcovers and broadleaf evergreen shrubs.
