Gardening Plants & Flowers Perennials

12 Perennial Vines for Shady Areas

Create a shady bower

By
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu
David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience.

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and
Peg Aloi
Peg Aloi
Peg Aloi

Peg Aloi is a gardening expert and former garden designer with 13 years experience working as a professional gardener in the Boston and upstate New York areas. She received her certificate in horticulture from the Berkshire Botanical Garden in 2018. 

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Updated on 10/31/23
Reviewed by
Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller
Reviewed by Kathleen Miller
Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and horticulturist with over 30 years of experience in organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column.
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Fact checked by
Emily Estep
Emily Estep
Fact checked by Emily Estep

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and journalist who has worked for a variety of online news and media outlets, writing about and editing topics including environmental science and houseplants.

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Climbing vines can create leafy bowers, and there are many beautiful perennial vines that are suitable for growing in partial to full shade. There are vines with small leaves and large leaves, and some that produce flowers (like clematis or chocolate vine), and some that can climb very high. These vines also have varying needs in terms of soil, and some may need more sunlight than others. It's important to know, however, that many climbing vines can grow so much that they overwhelm your trees, garden structures, or home. In addition, many vines are considered invasive species and should be avoided, including trumpet vine, bittersweet, wild grapevine, and some varieties of wisteria.

Here are our 12 favorite perennial vines for shade to grow in your garden.

english ivy

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Warning

Many invasive vines, such as kudzu, pose severe problems for forests and landscapes. This list gives some recommendations for both perennial vines that tolerate partial shade, as well as some to avoid due to dangers of invasiveness.

  • 01 of 12

    Boston Ivy

    Boston ivy vine with dark-green leaves climbing brick wall

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Boston ivy is not grown for its flowers. It is the foliage of this traditional favorite that earns it a place on this list. Rumor has it that "ivy league" colleges are so named because the external walls of some of the older buildings on their campuses are covered in ivy. The leaves of Boston ivy can become a brilliant red in autumn, and the leaves are attractive in summer, too, when they are a deep, glossy green. Fall color is best when this vine receives ample sunshine, so if you are growing it in the shade, you need to be content with its summer look.

    • Name: Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Loamy soil, tolerant to a variety
    • Mature Size: 50-50 feet long
    Continue to 2 of 12 below
  • 02 of 12

    Climbing Hydrangea

    Climbing hydrangea vines with lacy white flower clusters in between ribbed leaves

    The Spruce / Loren Probish

    As difficult as it can be to find vines to grow in the shade, it is even more difficult to find flowering vines that bloom well under shady conditions and that are hardy in the northern states of the U.S. (as well as some parts of Canada). Because climbing hydrangea meets these requirements, it is one of the most valuable plants at the landscaper's disposal.

    • Name: Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala ssp. petiolaris)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Flower Color: White, blue, pink, purple
    • Light: Partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, acidic soil
    • Mature Size: 30-50 feet tall, 5-6 feet wide
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  • 03 of 12

    Virginia Creeper

    Virginia creeper vines with small leaflets covering white wooden fence

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Although Virginia creeper makes the "good" list, it has some qualifications. As a vigorous grower, it is not suitable for growing in small spaces. Plant developers have produced somewhat tamer cultivars for homeowners to grow, such as 'Red Wall.'  Like its relative, Boston ivy, the fall foliage of Virginia creeper can be outstanding. (Boston ivy and Virginia creeper are both members of the Parthenocissus genus). Do not expect optimal color in fall if you grow it as a vine for shade.

    • Name: Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 10
    • Flower Color: Greenish white
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, clay, loamy
    • Mature Size: 30-50 feet long
    Continue to 4 of 12 below
  • 04 of 12

    (Vinca minor)

    Vinca minor plant with small purple flowers between leaves in sunlight

    The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Periwinkle can be invasive in some circumstances, but it is relatively easy to control in the landscape and produces pretty violet-blue flowers. It can be a good plant to grow under trees—a particularly challenging environment. Vinca is a drought-tolerant ground cover, which means it can accommodate large trees consuming most all of the available water. Unlike the other plants listed here, periwinkle is not a climber. But those who do not mind its aggressiveness will appreciate its ability to fill in an area that would otherwise become overrun with weeds.

    • Name: Vinca Minor (Vinca minor)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Flower Color: Blue, lavender, purple, white
    • Light: Partial sun to full shade
    • Soil Needs: Normal, sandy, or clay
    • Mature Size: 3-6 in. tall with trailing vines up to 18 in. long
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  • 05 of 12

    Sweet Autumn Clematis

    Sweet autumn clematis vine with small white flowers and fuzzy seed heads closeup

    The Spruce / Autumn Wood

    Sweet autumn clematis is a vine that grows well, and flowers well, when planted in the shade. But reviews on this plant are mixed. Some people love sweet autumn clematis and the delightful scent that it emits during the evening. But others are annoyed that the plentiful flowers, so beautiful to many, are the source of equally numerous seeds that will germinate all over the garden to produce seedlings. For gardeners who do not mind weeding chores, it might be a perfect vine. 

    • Name: Sweet Autumn Clematis (Clematis paniculata, Clematis terniflora)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3 to 8
    • Flower Color: White
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Any well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 15-30 feet long
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  • 06 of 12

    Trumpet Vine

    Trumpet vine flowers with orange trumpet-shaped petals closeup

    The Spruce / David Beaulieu

    Trumpet vine is another plant that is not without its merits. It will eventually produce its gorgeous orange flowers even in partial shade, and hummingbirds adore it. But unwanted "children" from the parent plant will pop up everywhere, and they are much harder to pull up than sweet autumn clematis plants.

    • Name: Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 10
    • Flower Color: Yellow, orange, red
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Any well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 25–40 ft. long, 5–10 ft. wide
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  • 07 of 12

    Emerald Gaiety Euonymus

    Emerald gaiety euonymus vines climbing dark wood fence with small green and white leaves

     The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova

    Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety' is a foliage plant that can take the form either of a vine or a shrub. Consequently, it can be grown either as a ground cover or as a hedge plant (pictured). It is easy to pick out 'Emerald Gaiety.' It has variegated leaves in a green and white pattern. Shade does not bother it much, but its potential for invasiveness might prove to be a bother for you.

    • Name: Emerald Gaiety Euonymus (Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaity')
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 8
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Soil Needs: Any well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 3-5 feet tall, 3-6 feet wide
    Continue to 8 of 12 below
  • 08 of 12

    Chinese Wisteria

    Chinese wisteria twisted vines with large drooping purple flower clusters

     The Spruce / Loren Probish

    Chinese wisteria is also invasive in some regions of North America. A better choice for most American gardens is Wisteria frutescens, an American native. The problem with the American variety is that it does not flower in the shade. Chinese wisteria, on the other hand, flowers beautifully in the shade, but gardeners risk dealing with its potential invasiveness.

    • Name: Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 13
    • Flower Color: White, pink, purple
    • Light: Partial shade to full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, slightly acidic soil
    • Mature Size: 10 to 25 feet long, 4 to 8 feet wide
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  • 09 of 12

    English Ivy

    English ivy vines climbing brick fence

     The Spruce / Cara Cormack

    For some gardeners, English ivy competes with Oriental bittersweet and kudzu for the title of the most hated vine in North America, due to its invasiveness. Planting this vine is discouraged, even though it grows very well in the shade.

    • Name: English Ivy (Hedera helix)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Light: Partial to full shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, fertile, neutral to alkaline soil
    • Mature Size: N/A, climbs and spreads as much as possible
    Continue to 10 of 12 below
  • 10 of 12

    Japanese Honeysuckle

    Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

     The Spruce / Adrienne Legault

    Japanese honeysuckle is an attractive perennial vine for shade—but the rampant invasive nature of this exotic makes it a plant to avoid at all costs. The honeysuckle variety native to the eastern U.S., Lonicera sempervirens, is, unfortunately, not a vine for shade. Although the common name for Lonicera sempervirens is "trumpet honeysuckle," do not confuse it with trumpet vine (Campsis radicans). It is known to occur and be invasive in the east from Maine to Florida and westward to Wisconsin and Texas. There are scattered occurrences in the Southwest.

    • Name: Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Flower Color: White, yellow
    • Light: Sun
    • Soil Needs: Tolerates many soil conditions
    • Mature Size: 15-50 feet long, 3-6 feet wide
    Continue to 11 of 12 below
  • 11 of 12

    Chocolate Vine

    chocolate vine

    Massimiliano Finzi / Getty Images

    Akebia quinata, commonly known as chocolate vine, is a flowering vine with small grape-like flowers and rounded leaves that grow in clumps of five. There are several cultivars with blooms ranging from white to rose pink to deep plum. It tolerates partial shade conditions, and grows well on a fence or trellis. Take care not to let it scramble along the ground, as the root system can get tangled in among other plants, and is very stubborn and hard to remove.

    • Name: Chocolate Vine (Akebia quinata)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 8
    • Flower Color: White, pink, purple
    • Light: Partial shade to partial sun
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy, slightly acidic soil
    • Mature Size: 15-30 feet long, 1-2 feet wide
    Continue to 12 of 12 below
  • 12 of 12

    Clematis

    Nelly Moser clematis

    Claudia Cooper / Getty Images

    Many clematis varieties prefer sun for maximum flowering, but there are a number of cultivars that bloom well in partial shade conditions. Clematis montana belongs to the "Group 1" clematis that bloom in spring. It blooms on old wood and needs very little pruning. The pale pink flowers will bloom in partial shade. Clematis alpina (alpine clematis) is another spring-bloomer that is easy care, and produces attractive bell-shaped blue flowers. Summer-blooming cultivars with larger flowers that bloom in partial shade include 'Nelly Moser' (striped pale and deep pink), 'Prince Charles' (pale lilac), and 'Madame Julia Correvon' (deep magenta).

    • Name: Clematis (Clematis spp.)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9
    • Flower Color: White, pink, purple, blue
    • Light: Partial shade to partial sun
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 8-20 feet long (large flower varieties), 3-5 feet long (small flower varieties)

More Info on Perennial Vines for Shade

Growing vines in your shady garden can range from fulfilling to frustrating, so it's a good idea to plan ahead. Knowing the growing needs of vines, how and where to plant them, and which ones are invasive, can help you choose the right ones for your yard.

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Harron, Paulina et al. Predicting Kudzu (Pueraria montana) spread and its economic impacts in timber industry: A case study from Oklahoma. PloS one vol. 15,3 e0229835. 16 Mar. 2020, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0229835