Want more privacy and cottage-garden charm? Try these fast-growing flowering vines

Nothing takes an unsightly chain link fence or bare shed wall and makes it look better than a wild, lush expanse of garden plants covering it over—bonus if the plants are in flower, and pollinators are buzzing around. It gives the space new life—literally!

Vines creeping up over a pergola or arch can add shade and a sense of privacy, helping turn an open space into a quiet nook without adding walls or other complicated structures. And many are super easy to care for! A lot of vining plants grow quickly and love the sun, though there are partial-shade options too. (If you’re looking for a slower-growing plant for a shadier area, climbing hydrangea is practically made for you.)

First things first: Know what will grow in your area. Find your exact climate zone on the USDA's Hardiness Zone map—it will tell you what can be grown as a perennial or what will need to be grown as an annual. (Note that the map was updated in late 2023 to account for changing climates. If you haven't looked in a while, your zone may be different than you thought!

Then scroll through our list! There are plenty of the most popular options on here, such as clematis, bougainvillea, morning glory, and wisteria. But there are plenty of beautiful native and overlooked plants as well that offer distinctive looks, alluring scents, beautiful flowers, and great foliage.

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Clematis (Clematis spp.)

With more than 300 species, there are many different kinds of clematis. Some bloom in spring, some in the fall, and some types bloom all season long.

The flowers come in every color from palest pink to deep purple. They like their heads in full sun but prefer their roots to be shaded, so plant other perennials at their base to help shelter the roots.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9

Sun Exposure: full sun

Best for: Beautiful Blooms

Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.)

This genus of hardy perennial vines has gorgeous tube-shaped flowers. Pollinators such as hummingbirds and bees will flock to them!

Make sure you choose Lonicera sempervivens or Lonicera periclymenum, not the invasive Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), which will take over your entire garden.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9

Sun Exposure: partial shade to full sun

Best for: Attracting pollinators

Morning Glory (Ipomoea purpurea)

Morning glories live up to their name, opening in the morning sunshine. They grow quickly from seed. Pick off the dried seeds after they bloom if you don’t want them to self-sow next year.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 12 (as perennials)

Sun Exposure: full sun (6-8 hours)

Best for: Growing quickly

Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)

Wisteria is a cold-hardy perennial with lovely, draping flowers that resemble clusters of grapes. The lilac blue flowers are sweetly scented and appear in mid-spring. Avoid the Chinese (Wisteria sinensis) and Japanese (Wisteria floribunda) species; they’ve become invasive in many parts of the country. Wisteria frutescens (native to North America and pictured here) is much easier to manage.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9

Sun Exposure: partial shade to full sun

Best for: Sweet Smelling Blooms

Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)

This perennial vine has papery bracts, or flowers, in electric pink or purple. It’s evergreen in frost-free areas of the country, though it may need to be replanted in northern climes. It likes dry soil, so don’t let it sit in water.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11

Sun Exposure: full sun (at least 6 hours)Best for: Coming back year after year

Butterfly Vine (Mascagnia macroptera)

Though this evergreen vine attracts plenty of butterflies when it blooms in the spring and again in the late fall, that’s not how it got its name—rather the papery seed pods, when fully formed, are shaped a bit like butterflies.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 10

Sun Exposure: full to partial sun

Best for: Year-round coverage

Climbing Carolina Aster (Ampelaster carolinianus)

This fast-growing perennial produces beautiful aster-like pink and purple flowers with yellow centers in the summer and fall. It loves moist areas (but not standing water), so plant it where it’s likely to get regular water.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 9

Sun Exposure: full to partial sun

Best for: Planting in areas that stay moist

Climbing Roses (Rosa spp.)

There are a number of rose varieties that form climbing vines instead of bushes, from wild roses to heirloom and hybrid roses, to modern varieties. Find one that’s adapted to your USDA hardiness zone and light needs, and you’ll enjoy beautiful blooms for years!

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 9

Sun Exposure: full to partial sun

Best for: Classic cottage garden feel.

Rocktrumpet (Mandevilla spp.)

Pink, red, or white blossoms cover this tropical vine and last all summer long. It likes full sun but needs a little afternoon shade in hot climates.

Mandevilla is considered an annual in temperate climates, but is an evergreen in warmer regions of the country. You can try to overwinter it indoors, but it will shed leaves daily, so be prepared for lots of cleanups. We like it especially for trailing around front doors!

USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11

Sun Exposure: full sun (at least 6 hours)

Best for: A tropical feel

Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda)

This Madagascar native can grow up to 20 feet long. It’s also called bridal wreath, Hawaiian wedding flower, and waxflower.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 13

Sun Exposure: bright and indirect light

Best for: Highly scented blooms

Cup and Saucer Vine (Cobaea scandens)

It’s frequently called Mexican climbing cobaea and was introduced in the United States in 1792. This vine’s unique cup-and-saucer-like appearance is a beautiful spectacle to witness. The flowers begin as burgeoning green buds that transform into a bell-shaped flower with violet stripes. It finally turns a royal purple hue before dying.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11

Sun Exposure: full sun

Best for: A dramatic transformation

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata)

This showy flowering vine has orange-red trumpet-shaped blossoms and can grow up to 50 feet long and 6 to 9 feet wide. The North American native adds plenty of vibrant color to garden spaces across the southeastern region of the United States.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9

Sun Exposure: full sun to partial shade

Best for: Lovers of native plants

Climbing Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

Also called monk’s cress, vining nasturtium, Indian cress, and garden nasturtium, this beautiful plant is fast growing, and even edible!

The long-stemmed Central and South American native thrives in hot climates that mimic the tropical and subtropical conditions of its homeland. Its color varieties include gold, lemon, orange, pink, ruby, and bicolors. The vines love wrapping or climbing up supportive structures like trellises and fences.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 9 to 11

Sun Exposure: full sun (6+ hours of sunlight)

Best for: An edible vine

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

You can find trumpet vines (a.k.a. cow-itch vine, hummingbird vine, and trumpet creeper in the United States) in a variety of colors that include shades of orange, red, and yellow. The vine includes green leaves and up to 4-inch-long trumpet-shaped blossoms that thrive throughout the summer. Deadhead trumpet vine unless you want it to spread through reseeding. This plant grows aggressively and can easily take over your garden if it does not receive regular maintenance.

Be aware: Though native to the Southeast, this is considered invasive in New England and the Northeast.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 4 to 10

Sun Exposure: full sun to partial shadeBest for: Attracting hummingbirds

Passionflower Vines (Passiflora spp.)

Pollinators such as bumblebees and carpenter bees adore the pretty flowers on this vine. Whether you call these delicate flowering vines maypops, garden nasturtium, vining nasturtium, Indian cress, or monk’s cress, they will catch a lot of attention in any garden setting. Research which species are native to your area, and make sure you’re not planting one that’s invasive where you live. Passiflora incarnata and Passiflora lutea are native to much of the eastern half of the United States.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 6 to 10

Sun Exposure: full sun to partial shade

Porcelain Flower (Hoya carnosa)

Its official botanical name comes from Thomas Hoy, a late 18th-century gardener to the Duke of Northumberland. Its moniker means “fleshy,” and is a direct reference to the plant’s thick waxy leaves.

It’s an ornate vine with pretty clusters of star-shaped blossoms. They are commonly kept indoors but can be planted in a large container outdoors during the summer. Just make sure they have ample shade.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 10b to 11b

Sun Exposure: bright, indirect light (2–6 hours daily)

Best for: Warm climates

Blue Sky Vine (Thunbergia grandiflora)

This pretty purple-flowering vine is known by many names that also include blue trumpetvine, blue skyflower, clockvine, Bengal clockvine, Bengal trumpet, and many more.

The sprawling vine is native to China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indochina, and Myanmar. It’s a fast-growing vine that spreads rapidly and can become invasive without proper maintenance.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11

Sun Exposure: full sun (at least 6 hours)

Best for: Adding pops of blue

Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)

The demure flowers of this beautiful fast-climbing annual may not be huge, but the plant is a hummingbird magnet! With delicate feathery foliage, it is lovely on a trellis, arbor, or a pergola.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 11 to 12

Sun Exposure: full sun (at least 6 hours)

Best for: Attracting Hummingbirds

Japanese Hydrangea Vine (Hydrangea hydrangeoides)

Once thought of as a wholly different species (and labeled Schizophragma hydrangeoides or False Hydrangea, which it’s still sometimes sold as), this plant has very recently been reclassified as a true hydrangea.

The bracts (petals) are single and come in pink or white, whereas climbing hydrangeas only come in white. This flowering vine tolerates shade, though it needs some light to bloom.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 9

Sun Exposure: partial shade to full sun

Best for: A partially shady spot

Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

This delicate-looking perennial vine has creamy white flowers with the most heavenly sweet scent! It’s spectacular on a fence, arbor, or wall—though it takes a few years to kick into high gear.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 8 to 10

Sun Exposure: partial shade to full sun

Best for: Sweet-smelling blooms

Scarlet Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus)

This beautiful heirloom vine has gorgeous red blooms that attract hummingbirds. Even better, the beans are edible. You can eat them fresh (when small) or let them stay on the vine and get big, then harvest for drying at the end of the season. It’s a fast-grower, so give it plenty of room.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 10

Sun Exposure: full sun (at least 6 hours)

Best for: A vine that produces food

Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)

Beautiful, fragrant bright yellow flowers cover this hardy vine. It blooms in early spring with some reblooming in fall. It’s a fast grower that works well to cover unsightly views.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 7 to 9

Sun Exposure: partial shade to full sun

Best for: Growing on fences.

Firecracker Vine (Pyrostegia venusta)

Also called Flamevine or even Orange Trumpet vine, this exotic-looking vine isn’t well-known by most gardeners, but it should be. It blooms all summer, tolerates heat and drought, and hummingbirds love it!

It’s considered an annual in most climates, but it may survive as a perennial in warmer regions of the country.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 11

Sun Exposure: full sun (at least 6 hours)

Best for: Warm climates

Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)

This shade-lover boasts creamy white flowers all summer long. Its vines are very heavy, so it needs something sturdy to climb or lean against. It’s very slow-growing, so be patient as it can take years to establish.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 5 to 7

Sun Exposure: partial shade to full sun

Best for: Shady spots

Moonflower (Ipomoea alba)

Moonflowers (a species of night-blooming morning glories) are heirloom favorites that bloom in the evening with blossoms that are 6 inches wide. They also have a heavy scent, and pollinators adore them. They’re annuals in cool climates but perennial in mild zones.

USDA Hardiness Zones: 10 to 12

Sun Exposure: partial shade to full sun

Best for: Large blooms