Pictures and descriptions of native vines

California native plants that can be used as a vine.

Acer circinatum, Vine Maple and Mountain Maple.

Aristolochia californica, California Pipevine or California Dutchman's Pipe

Calystegia macrostegia, California Morning Glory

Calystegia purpurata, Purplish Morning Glory and Pacific False Bindweed

Clematis lasiantha, Pipestem Clematis and Chaparral Clematis

Clematis ligusticifolia, Western white clematis

Cornus californica, California Dogwood

Cornus stolonifera, Red Stem Dogwood.

Keckiella cordifolia, Heart Leaved Penstemon and Climbing Penstemon

Acer circinatum, Vine Maple with flowers - grid24_12

Acer circinatum, Vine Maple and Mountain Maple. will need to be tied to trellis. Prefers cool sun or shade. Needs regular water in most of California.

Aristolochia californica, California Pipevine, grows in the shade of, and climbs up trees, such as Quercus wislizenii, and Umbellularia californica, in the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. - grid24_12

Aristolochia californica, California Pipevine or California Dutchman's Pipe is slow to start, big and fast after first years. Shade at its feet, sun on its top. Needs regular water for the first few years.

Keckiella ternata septentrionalis, Whorl Leaf Penstemon

Lathyrus jepsonii californicus

Lathyrus laetiflorus alefeldii, San Diego Sweetpea

Lonicera hispidula, California Honeysuckle

Lonicera interrupta, Chaparral Honeysuckle

Maurandya antirrhiniflora, Snapdragon Vine

Ribes aureum gracillimum, Golden Currant

Ribes sanguineum glutinosum, Pink-Flowered Currant

Rosa gymnocarpa, Wood Rose and Dwarf rose
Vitis californica, California Grape

Vitis girdiana, Southern California Grape or Desert Grape

Calystegia macrostegia, California Morning Glory growing on fence in Escondido - grid24_12

Calystegia macrostegia, California Morning Glory
Calystegias like to have their feet shady and their top in the sun. Drought tolerant after they are established. Will go deciduous if they get too dry.

Purplish Morning Glory growing in Escondido - grid24_12

Calystegia purpurata, Purplish Morning Glory and Pacific False Bindweed
Isn't it amazing how beautiful some of the California native plants are?
The flowers can be 3 inches across in C. purpurata, 4 inches on C. macrostegia.

Ceanothus griseus horizontalis, Yankee Point, espaliered by deer. - grid24_12

Do not discount some simple things like converting a groundcover like Ceanothus Yankee Point into a vine. The deer did this one, you could also.

Clematis lasthania climbing on Ceanothus. In the coastal valleys of Santa Barbara and Los Angeles this vine can cover a hundred ft. of fences. - grid24_12

Clematis lasiantha, Pipestem Clematis and Chaparral Clematis

The Clematis flowers are delicate and spread all over the vine as they crawl along your fence or trellis. - grid24_12

Clematis ligusticifolia, Western White Clematis
Both Clemati are native in chaparral and coastal sage scrub, along trails and next to creeks. Base of plant in shade, top growing into sun.

Cornus californica, California Dogwood

Red stem dogwood is also known as Cornus sericea subsp. sericea. These plants are in flower in the Sierras - grid24_12

Cornus stolonifera, Red Stem Dogwood.
The Dogwoods need to grow in rather moist soil. They will have to be tied to fence or trellis. Branches are very flexible and should work well for a espaliered 'hedge'.

Heart leaf Penstemon along 101 north of San Luis Obispo - grid24_12

Keckiella cordifolia, Heart Leaved Penstemon or Climbing Penstemon is a sprawling bush that has to be tied up as it wants to fall on something.

Also look at Cornus sessilis as it might work well as a woodland wall.

Here you can see the masses of flowers that are produced by Keckiella ternata var. septentrionalis, Whorl Leaf Penstemon. - grid24_12

Keckiella ternata septentrionalis, Whorl Leaf Penstemon is a stunner that also has to be tied up.

Lathyrus jepsonii californicus - grid24_12

Lathyrus jepsonii californicus
The native Sweet Peas are not the most reliable plants to use as a vine.

Lathyrus laetiflorus alefeldii - grid24_12

Lathyrus laetiflorus alefeldii, San Diego Sweetpea
Before you get excited, we've only grown it one year.

Pink chaparral honeysuckle, Lonicera hispidula in flower. - grid24_12

Lonicera hispidula, California Honeysuckle will need to be tied up and useful only as a very small vine for a small spot.

Maurandya antirrhiniflora, Desert snapdragon on a chain link fence. - grid24_12

Maurandya antirrhiniflora, Snapdragon Vine does not tolerate hard frost or heavy rain.

Ribes aureum gracillimum, Golden Currant with Anna Hummingbird. This native plant grows on the north slopes of Malibu, Latigo, and through the Los Angeles Basin; San Gabriel Valley. - grid24_12

Ribes aureum gracillimum, Golden Currant has to be worked with and tied to fence.

Pink flowering currant against a north wall - grid24_12

Ribes sanguineum glutinosum, Pink-Flowered Currant is easily espaliered.

Rosa gymnocarpa, Wood Rose and Dwarf rose sprawls and does some suckering but can be trained up onto a fence.

Fall Color on California Grape - grid24_12

Vitis californica, California Grape

Vitis girdiana, Southern California Grape used to live in the riparian areas throughout the Los Angeles basin. - grid24_12

Vitis girdiana, Southern California Grape or Desert Grape

Plants for a 'narrow hedge' instead of a vine.

Sometimes a narrow shrub is better used than a vine. Vines usually have to be tended to. Narrow shrubs also have to be tended but may be less work than a vine in many situations.

Cercocarpus alnifolius, Island Mountain Mahogany

Garrya elliptica James Roof

Lonicera involucrata ledebourii, Twinberry honeysuckle

Rhamnus californica, Coffeeberry

Rhamnus californica, Tranquil Margarita

Rhamnus purshiana, Chittam Bark and Cascara Sagrada

Spiraea douglasii, Western Spiraea

The Island Mountain Mahogany is about twenty years old. No pruning and you can see the form. - grid24_12

Cercocarpus alnifolius, Island Mountain Mahogany