A vine (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any

plant Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...

with a growth

habit A habit (or wont as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously.

of trailing or

scandent A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...

(that is, climbing) stems,

liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...

s or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in

wicker Wicker is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. It was first documented in ancient Egypt using pliable plant material, but in modern times it is made from any pliable, easily woven material. ...

work.Jackson; Benjamin; Daydon (1928). ''A Glossary of Botanic Terms with their Derivation and Accent'', 4th ed. London: Gerald Duckworth & Co. In parts of the world, including the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles, ...

, the term "vine" usually applies exclusively to grapevines (''

Vitis ''Vitis'' (grapevine) is a genus of 79 accepted species of vining plants in the flowering plant family Vitaceae. The genus is made up of species predominantly from the Northern Hemisphere. It is economically important as the source of grapes, b ...

''), while the term "climber" is used for all climbing plants.

Growth forms

Certain plants always grow as vines, while a few grow as vines only part of the time. For instance, poison ivy and bittersweet can grow as low

shrubs A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

when support is not available, but will become vines when support is available. A vine displays a growth form based on very long stems. This has two purposes. A vine may use rock exposures, other plants, or other supports for growth rather than investing energy in a lot of supportive tissue, enabling the plant to reach sunlight with a minimum investment of energy. This has been a highly successful growth form for plants such as

kudzu Kudzu (; also called Japanese arrowroot or Chinese arrowroot) is a group of climbing, coiling, and trailing deciduous perennial vines native to much of East Asia, Southeast Asia, and some Pacific islands, but invasive species, invasive in many ...

and

Japanese honeysuckle ''Lonicera japonica'', known as Japanese honeysuckle and golden-and-silver honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle native to eastern Asia. It is often grown as an ornamental plant, but has become an invasive species in a number of countries. Jap ...

, both of which are

invasive exotic An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

s in parts of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. There are some tropical vines that develop skototropism, and grow away from the light, a type of negative

phototropism Phototropism is the growth of an organism in response to a light stimulus. Phototropism is most often observed in plants, but can also occur in other organisms such as fungi. The cells on the plant that are farthest from the light contain a hor ...

. Growth away from light allows the vine to reach a tree trunk, which it can then climb to brighter regions. The vine growth form may also enable plants to colonize large areas quickly, even without climbing high. This is the case with periwinkle and

ground ivy ''Glechoma hederacea'' is an aromatic, perennial, evergreen creeper of the mint family Lamiaceae. It is commonly known as ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, creeping charlie, alehoof, tunhoof, catsfoot, field balm, and run-away-robin. It is als ...

. It is also an adaptation to life in areas where small patches of fertile soil are adjacent to exposed areas with more sunlight but little or no soil. A vine can root in the soil but have most of its leaves in the brighter, exposed area, getting the best of both environments. The evolution of a climbing habit has been implicated as a key innovation associated with the evolutionary success and diversification of a number of taxonomic groups of plants. It has evolved independently in several plant families, using many different climbing methods, such as: * twining the stem around a support (e.g., morning glories, ''

Ipomoea ''Ipomoea'' () is the largest genus in the plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 600 species. It is a large and diverse group, with common names including morning glory, water convolvulus or water spinach, sweet potato, bindweed, moonflo ...

'' species) * by way of adventitious, clinging roots (e.g., ivy, ''

Hedera ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

'' species) * with twining petioles (e.g., ''

Clematis ''Clematis'' is a genus of about 300 species within the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. Their garden hybrids have been popular among gardeners, beginning with ''Clematis'' × ''jackmanii'', a garden standby since 1862; more hybrid cultivars ...

'' species) * using

tendril In botany, a tendril is a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape used by climbing plants for support and attachment, as well as cellular invasion by parasitic plants such as ''Cuscuta''. There are many plants that have tendr ...

s, which can be specialized shoots (

Vitaceae The Vitaceae are a family of flowering plants, with 14 genera and around 910 known species, including common plants such as grapevines (''Vitis'' spp.) and Virginia creeper (''Parthenocissus quinquefolia''). The family name is derived from the ge ...

), leaves (

Bignoniaceae Bignoniaceae is a family of flowering plants in the order Lamiales commonly known as the bignonias or trumpetvines.Vernon H. Heywood, Richard K. Brummitt, Ole Seberg, and Alastair Culham. ''Flowering Plant Families of the World''. Firefly Books: ...

), or even inflorescences (''

Passiflora ''Passiflora'', known also as the passion flowers or passion vines, is a genus of about 550 species of flowering plants, the type genus of the family Passifloraceae. They are mostly tendril-bearing vines, with some being shrubs or trees. They ...

'') * using tendrils which also produce adhesive pads at the end that attach themselves quite strongly to the support (''

Parthenocissus ''Parthenocissus'' , is a genus of tendril vine, climbing plants in the grape family (biology), family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native plant, native to the Himalayas, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental ...

'') * using thorns (e.g. climbing

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

) or other hooked structures, such as hooked branches (e.g. ''

Artabotrys hexapetalus ''Manoranjitham,'' the climbing ylang-ylang, is a shrub found in India through to Burma, southern China and Taiwan, having flowers that are renowned for their exotic fragrance. It is also called ylang-ylang vine or tail grape in English, with a v ...

'') The

climbing fetterbush Climbing is the activity of using one's hands, feet, or any other part of the body to ascend a steep topographical object that can range from the world's tallest mountains (e.g. the eight thousanders), to small bouldering, boulders. Climbin ...

('' Pieris phillyreifolia'') is a woody shrub-vine which climbs without clinging roots, tendrils, or thorns. It directs its stem into a crevice in the bark of fibrous barked trees (such as

bald cypress ''Taxodium distichum'' (bald cypress, swamp cypress; french: cyprès chauve; ''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide r ...

) where the stem adopts a flattened profile and grows up the tree underneath the host tree's outer bark. The fetterbush then sends out branches that emerge near the top of the tree. Most vines are flowering plants. These may be divided into woody vines or

s, such as

wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), that includes ten species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north o ...

kiwifruit Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi in North American, British and continental European English) or Chinese gooseberry is the edible berry of several species of woody vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' ...

, and common ivy, and herbaceous (nonwoody) vines, such as

morning glory Morning glory (also written as morning-glory) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics are in flux. Morning glory species belong to many genera, some of ...

. One odd group of vining plants is the fern genus ''Lygodium'', called climbing ferns. The stem does not climb, but rather the fronds (leaves) do. The fronds unroll from the tip, and theoretically never stop growing; they can form thickets as they unroll over other plants, rockfaces, and fences. Helix diagram-de

Twining vines

A twining vine, also known as a bine, is one that climbs by its shoots growing in a

helix A helix () is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is formed as two intertwined helices, ...

, in contrast to vines that climb using

s or suckers. Many bines have rough stems or downward-pointing bristles to aid their grip.

Hops Hops are the flowers (also called seed cones or strobiles) of the hop plant ''Humulus lupulus'', a member of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants. They are used primarily as a bittering, flavouring, and stability agent in beer, to whi ...

(used in flavoring beer) are a commercially important example of a bine. The direction of rotation of the shoot tip during climbing is autonomous and does not (as sometimes imagined) derive from the shoot's following the sun around the sky – the direction of twist does not therefore depend upon which side of the

equator The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...

the plant is growing on. This is shown by the fact that some bines always twine

clockwise Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...

, including runner bean (''

Phaseolus coccineus ''Phaseolus coccineus'', known as runner bean, scarlet runner bean, or multiflora bean, is a plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. Another common name is butter bean, which, however, can also refer to the lima bean, a different species. It is ...

'') and bindweed (''

Convolvulus ''Convolvulus'' is a genus of about 200 to 250''Convolvulus''.
Flora of China.

'' species), while others twine anticlockwise, including French bean (''

Phaseolus vulgaris ''Phaseolus vulgaris'', the common bean, is a herbaceous annual plant grown worldwide for its edible dry seeds or green, unripe pods. Its leaf is also occasionally used as a vegetable and the straw as fodder. Its botanical classification, alo ...

'') and climbing honeysuckles (''

Lonicera Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' species). The contrasting rotations of bindweed and honeysuckle was the theme of the satirical song "Misalliance", written and sung by Michael Flanders and Donald Swann.

Horticultural climbing plants

The term "vine" also applies to

cucurbitaceae The Cucurbitaceae, also called cucurbits or the gourd family, are a plant family consisting of about 965 species in around 95 genera, of which the most important to humans are: *''Cucurbita'' – squash, pumpkin, zucchini, some gourds *''Lagena ...

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.

s where botanists refer to creeping vines; in commercial

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

the natural tendency of coiling

s to attach themselves to pre-existing structures or

espalier Espalier ( or ) is the horticultural and ancient agricultural practice of controlling woody plant growth for the production of fruit, by pruning and tying branches to a frame. Plants are frequently shaped in formal patterns, flat against a struct ...

s is optimized by the installation of trellis netting.

Gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...

s can use the tendency of climbing plants to grow quickly. If a plant display is wanted quickly, a climber can achieve this. Climbers can be trained over

wall A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including: * Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the supe ...

pergola A pergola is most commonly an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support cross-beams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are trained. The ...

fence A fence is a structure that encloses an area, typically outdoors, and is usually constructed from posts that are connected by boards, wire, rails or netting. A fence differs from a wall in not having a solid foundation along its whole length. ...

s, etc. Climbers can be grown over other plants to provide additional attraction. Artificial support can also be provided. Some climbers climb by themselves; others need work, such as tying them in and training them.

Scientific description

Vines widely differ in size, form and evolutionary origin. Darwin classified climbing groups based on their climbing method. He classified five classes of vines – twining plants, leaf climbers, tendril bearers, root climbers and hook climbers. Vines are unique in that they have multiple evolutionary origins. They usually reside in tropical locations and have the unique ability to climb. Vines are able to grow in both deep shade and full sun due to their uniquely wide range of

phenotypic plasticity Phenotypic plasticity refers to some of the changes in an organism's behavior, morphology and physiology in response to a unique environment. Fundamental to the way in which organisms cope with environmental variation, phenotypic plasticity encompa ...

. This climbing action prevents shading by neighbors and allows the vine to grow out of reach of

herbivore A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example foliage or marine algae, for the main component of its diet. As a result of their plant diet, herbivorous animals typically have mouthpart ...

s. The environment where a vine can grow successfully is determined by the climbing mechanism of a vine and how far it can spread across supports. There are many theories supporting the idea that photosynthetic responses are closely related to climbing mechanisms. Temperate twining vines, which twist tightly around supports, are typically poorly adapted for climbing beneath closed canopies due to their smaller support diameter and shade intolerance. In contrast, tendril vines usually grow on the forest floor and onto trees until they reach the surface of the canopy, suggesting that they have greater

physiological Physiology (; ) is the scientific study of functions and mechanisms in a living system. As a sub-discipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ systems, individual organs, cells, and biomolecules carry out the chemical ...

plasticity. It has also been suggested that twining vines' revolving growth is mediated by changes in

turgor pressure Turgor pressure is the force within the cell that pushes the plasma membrane against the cell wall. It is also called ''hydrostatic pressure'', and is defined as the pressure in a fluid measured at a certain point within itself when at equilibri ...

mediated by volume changes in the

epidermal cells The epidermis is the outermost of the three layers that comprise the skin, the inner layers being the dermis and hypodermis. The epidermis layer provides a barrier to infection from environmental pathogens and regulates the amount of water relea ...

of the bending zone. Climbing vines can take on many unique characteristics in response to changes in their environments. Climbing vines can induce chemical defenses and modify their biomass allocation in response to herbivores. In particular, the twisting vine ''

Convolvulus arvensis ''Convolvulus arvensis'', the field bindweed, is a species of bindweed that is rhizomatous and is in the morning glory family (Convolvulaceae), native to Europe and Asia. It is a climbing or creeping herbaceous perennial plant with stems growing ...

'' increases its twining in response to herbivore-associated leaf damage, which may lead to reduced future herbivory. Additionally, the tendrils of

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

vine ''Cayratia japonica'' are more likely to coil around nearby plants of another species than nearby plants of the same species in natural and experimental settings. This ability, which has only been previously documented in roots, demonstrates the vine's ability to distinguish whether another plant is of the same species as itself or a different one. In tendrilled vines, the tendrils are highly sensitive to touch and the coiling action is mediated by the hormones octadecanoids,

jasmonate Jasmonate (JA) and its derivatives are lipid-based plant hormones that regulate a wide range of processes in plants, ranging from growth and photosynthesis to reproductive development. In particular, JAs are critical for plant defense against herb ...

s and

indole-3-acetic acid Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA, 3-IAA) is the most common naturally occurring plant hormone of the auxin class. It is the best known of the auxins, and has been the subject of extensive studies by plant physiologists. IAA is a derivative of indole, con ...

. The touch stimulus and hormones may interact via volatile compounds or internal oscillation patterns. Research has found the presence of ion translocating

ATPase ATPases (, Adenosine 5'-TriPhosphatase, adenylpyrophosphatase, ATP monophosphatase, triphosphatase, SV40 T-antigen, ATP hydrolase, complex V (mitochondrial electron transport), (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase, HCO3−-ATPase, adenosine triphosphatase) are ...

s in the ''Bryonia dioica'' species of plants, which has implications for a possible ion mediation tendril curling mechanism. In response to a touch stimulus,

vanadate In chemistry, a vanadate is an anionic coordination complex of vanadium. Often vanadate refers to oxoanions of vanadium, most of which exist in its highest oxidation state of +5. The complexes and are referred to as hexacyanovanadate(III) and no ...

sensitive K+, Mg2+ ATPase and a Ca2+ translocating ATPase rapidly increase their activity. This increases transmembrane ion fluxes that appear to be involved in the early stages of tendril coiling.

Example vine taxa

* '' Actinidia arguta'', the tara vine * ''

Actinidia polygama ''Actinidia polygama'' (also known as , silver vine, , and cat powder) is a species of kiwifruit in the Actinidiaceae family. It grows in the mountainous areas of Korea, Japan and China at elevations between . Silver vine can reach up to high ...

'', the silver vine * '' Adlumia fungosa'', the Allegheny vine * ''

Aeschynanthus radicans ''Aeschynanthus radicans'' is a vine-like plant native to the humid tropics of the Malay Peninsula south to Java (island), Java. Description It is an epiphyte or lithophyte growing to 1.5 m tall, with leathery, green Leaf, leaves that are 4–8 ...

'', the lipstick vine * ''

Akebia ''Akebia'' is a genus of five species of flowering plant, within the family Lardizabalaceae. The scientific name, ''akebia'', is a Latinization of the Japanese name for species Akebia quinata: . Species There are five species: Hybrids * ''Akeb ...

'', the chocolate vine * ''

Allamanda cathartica ''Allamanda cathartica'', commonly called golden trumpet, common trumpetvine, and yellow allamanda, is a species of flowering plant of the genus ''Allamanda'' in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to Brazil. This plant is cited in ''Flora Brasi ...

'', common trumpetvine * '' Ampelocissus acetosa'', known as wild grape or djabaru * ''Ampelopsis glandulosa'' var. ''brevipedunculata'', known as wild grape or porcelain berry * ''

Anredera cordifolia ''Anredera cordifolia'', commonly known as the Madeira-vine or mignonette vine, is a South American species of ornamental succulent vine of the family Basellaceae. The combination of fleshy leaves and thick aerial tubers makes this a very heavy ...

'', Madeira-vine * '' Antigonon'', the coral vine * ''

Antigonon leptopus ''Antigonon leptopus'' is a species of perennial vine in the buckwheat family commonly known as coral vine or queen's wreath. This clambering vine is characterized by showy, usually pink flowers that can bloom throughout the year and large, hear ...

'', the confederate vine * ''

Aptenia cordifolia ''Mesembryanthemum cordifolium'' formerly known as ''Aptenia cordifolia'' is a species of succulent plant in the iceplant family. It is a creeping plant that forms a carpet of flat-growing perennial herbs in groups on the ground from a base. Ge ...

'', the heart-leaved aptenia * ''

Araujia sericifera ''Araujia sericifera'' is a perennial vining plant in the genus '' Araujia'', of the family Apocynaceae. The species was described in 1817 by the Portuguese botanist Félix de Avelar Brotero. The synonym ''Araujia hortorum'' is in more frequent ...

'', moth vine * ''

Asparagus asparagoides ''Asparagus asparagoides'', commonly known as bridal creeper, bridal-veil creeper, ''gnarboola'', smilax or smilax asparagus, is a herbaceous climbing plant of the family Asparagaceae native to eastern and southern Africa. Sometimes grown as an ...

'', bridal creeper, bridal-veil creeper * ''

Banisteriopsis caapi ''Banisteriopsis caapi'', also known as ayahuasca, caapi, soul vine, or yagé (yage), is a South American liana of the family Malpighiaceae. It is one half of ayahuasca, a decoction with a long history of its entheogenic (connecting to spirit) us ...

'', ayahuasca, also known as caapi, yage, and soul vine * ''

Berchemia scandens ''Berchemia scandens'', commonly called Alabama supplejack, is a species of climbing plant in the buckthorn family. It is native to the central and southern parts of the United States. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including swamps, ...

'', the rattan vine * ''

Bignonia ''Bignonia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae. Its genus and family were named after Jean-Paul Bignon by his protégé Joseph Pitton de Tournefort in 1694, and the genus was established as part of modern botanical nomenc ...

'', the cross vine * ''

Bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

'', a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees * ''

Callerya megasperma ''Austrocallerya megasperma'', one of several species commonly known as native wisteria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a woody climber with pinnate leaves and racemes of purple ...

'', native wisteria * ''

Calystegia sepium ''Calystegia sepium'' (hedge bindweed, Rutland beauty, bugle vine, heavenly trumpets, bellbind, granny-pop-out-of-bed and many others) is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae. It has a cosmopolitan distribution, subcosmopolit ...

'', hedge bindweed * ''

Campsis ''Campsis,'' commonly known as trumpet creeper or trumpet vine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Bignoniaceae, native to woodlands in China and North America. It consists of two species, both of which are vigorous deciduous perennial ...

'', the trumpet vine ** ''

Campsis grandiflora ''Campsis grandiflora'', commonly known as the Chinese trumpet vine, is a fast-growing, deciduous creeper with large, orange, trumpet-shaped flowers in summer. It can grow to a height of 10 meters. A native of East Asia, it is less hardy than its ...

'', the Chinese trumpet vine * ''

Cardiospermum halicacabum ''Cardiospermum halicacabum'', known as the lesser balloon vine, balloon plant or love in a puff, is a climbing plant widely distributed across tropical and subtropical areas of Africa, Australia, and North America that is often found as a weed a ...

'', the balloon vine * ''

Celastrus ''Celastrus'', commonly known as staff vine, staff tree or bittersweet, is a genus in the family Celastraceae which comprises about 30-40 species of shrubs and vines. They have a wide distribution in East Asia, Australasia, Africa, and the Amer ...

'', the staff vine * ''

Ceropegia woodii ''Ceropegia woodii'' is a flowering plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae, native to South Africa, Eswatini and Zimbabwe. It is sometimes treated as a subspecies of the related '' Ceropegia linearis'', as ''C. linearis'' subsp. ''woodii''. Co ...

'', string of hearts * ''

Clematis vitalba ''Clematis vitalba'' (also known as old man's beard and traveller's joy) is a shrub of the family Ranunculaceae. Description ''Clematis vitalba'' is a climbing shrub with branched, grooved stems, deciduous leaves, and scented greeny-white flo ...

'', traveller's joy * ''

Clerodendrum thomsoniae ''Clerodendrum thomsoniae'' is a species of flowering plant in the genus ''Clerodendrum'' of the family Lamiaceae, native to tropical west Africa from Cameroon west to Senegal. It is an evergreen liana growing to tall, with ovate to oblong le ...

'', bleeding-heart vine * ''

Clitoria ternatea ''Clitoria ternatea'', commonly known as Asian pigeonwings, bluebellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, cordofan pea or Darwin pea is a plant species belonging to the family Fabaceae, endemic and native to the Indonesian island of Ternate. In India, ...

'', butterfly pea * ''

Ceropegia linearis ''Ceropegia linearis'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to Southern Africa. The popular houseplant ''Ceropegia woodii'' is sometimes treated as a subspecies of ''C. linearis'', as ''C. linearis'' subsp. ''woodii ...

'', the rosary vine or sweetheart vine * '' Cissus antarctica'', the kangaroo vine * ''

Cissus hypoglauca ''Cissus hypoglauca'' is a common Australian vine. It is one of the better known climbing plants of the genus ''Cissus'' in the grape family. A very common climber in moist areas of eastern Australia, it often colonises large areas after fore ...

'', the water vine * ''Citrullus lanatus'' var. ''lanatus'''','' the watermelon * ''

Cobaea scandens ''Cobaea scandens'', the cup-and-saucer vine, cathedral bells, Mexican ivy, or monastery bells, is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family Polemoniaceae. It is native to Mexico, with isolated sightings elsewhere in tropical central and ...

'', cup-and-saucer vine, cathedral bells, Mexican ivy * Cochliasanthus, known as corkscrew vine, snail vine, snail creeper * ''

Cucumis sativus Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.Cyphostemma juttae ''Cyphostemma juttae'' is a slow-growing succulent species of ''Cyphostemma'' from southern Africa, well known as an ornamental plant. The plant is also known as wild grape, tree grape, Namibian grape, Droog-my-keel and bastard cobas. This ...

'', known as wild grape * ''

Delairea ''Delairea'' is a plant genus within the family Asteraceae that is native to South Africa. Classified within the tribe Senecioneae, it contains only one species, ''Delairea odorata'', which was previously included in the genus ''Senecio'' as ''Se ...

'', German ivy * ''

Dolichandra unguis-cati ''Dolichandra unguis-cati'', commonly known as cat's claw creeper, funnel creeper, or cat's claw trumpet, is a rapidly growing climbing vine belonging to the family Bignoniaceae. It affects all plant layers of the forest ecosystem spreading rapid ...

'', cat's claw creeper, funnel creeper, or cat's claw trumpet * ''

Epipremnum aureum ''Epipremnum aureum'' is a species in the arum family Araceae, native to Mo'orea in the Society Islands of French Polynesia. The species is a popular houseplant in temperate regions but has also become naturalised in tropical and sub-tropical fore ...

'', known as golden pothos and devil's ivy * ''

Fallopia baldschuanica ''Fallopia baldschuanica'' ( syn. ''Polygonum baldschuanicum'') is an Asian species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including Russian-vine, Bukhara fleeceflower, Chinese fleecevine, mile-a-minute and sil ...

'', the Russian vine * ''

Ficus pumila ''Ficus pumila'', commonly known as the creeping fig or climbing fig, is a species of flowering plant in the mulberry family, native to East Asia (China, Japan, Vietnam) and naturalized in parts of the southeastern and south-central United Stat ...

'', known as the climbing fig * '' Hardenbergia violacea'', lilac vine * ''

Hedera helix ''Hedera'', commonly called ivy (plural ivies), is a genus of 12–15 species of evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plants in the family Araliaceae, native to western, central and southern Europe, Macaronesia, northwestern Africa and ...

'', known as common ivy, English ivy, European ivy, or ivy * ''

Hibbertia scandens ''Hibbertia scandens'', sometimes known by the common names snake vine, climbing guinea flower and golden guinea vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Dilleniaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is climber or scrambler wi ...

'', climbing guinea flower, golden guinea vine, gold guinea plant * '' Hoya'', a genus of about 300 species of climbing or creeping plants * ''

Humulus lupulus ''Humulus lupulus'', the common hop or hops, is a species of flowering plant in the hemp family Cannabinaceae, native to Europe, western Asia and North America. It is a perennial, herbaceous climbing plant which sends up new shoots in early spr ...

'', common hop * ''

Hydrangea petiolaris ''Hydrangea petiolaris'', a climbing hydrangea (syn: ''Hydrangea anomala'' subsp. ''petiolaris''), is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae native to the woodlands of Japan, the Korean peninsula, and on Sakhalin island of eas ...

'', climbing hydrangea * ''

Ipomoea cairica ''Ipomoea cairica'' is a vining, herbaceous, perennial plant with palmate leaves and large, showy white to lavender flowers. A species of morning glory, it has many common names, including mile-a-minute vine, Messina creeper, Cairo morning glo ...

'', known as Cairo morning glory, coast morning glory and railroad creeper * ''

Ipomoea indica ''Ipomoea indica'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Convolvulaceae, known by several common names, including blue morning glory, oceanblue morning glory, ''koali awa'', and blue dawn flower. It bears heart-shaped or 3-lobed leaves an ...

'', known as ocean blue morning glory * ''

Jasminum polyanthum ''Jasminum polyanthum'' (), the many-flowered jasmine or pink jasmine, is a species of flowering plant in the olive family Oleaceae, native to China and Myanmar. A strong evergreen twining climber, it is especially noted for its abundant, highly ...

'', pink jasmine * ''

Kadsura japonica ''Kadsura japonica'', commonly known as the kadsura vine or simply kadsura, is a plant species native to Japan (Honshū, Kyūshū and the Ryukyu Islands) in woodlands. The larvae of the moth '' Caloptilia kadsurae'' feed on ''K. japonica'' in the ...

'', kadsura vine * ''

Kennedia coccinea ''Kennedia coccinea'', commonly known as coral vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a twining, climbing or prostrate shrub with trifoliate leaves and orange-pin ...

'', the common coral vine * ''

Kennedia nigricans ''Kennedia nigricans'', commonly known as black kennedia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a trailing or twining shrub or climber with trifoliate leaves and black ...

, black coral pea * ''

Lagenaria siceraria Calabash (; ''Lagenaria siceraria''), also known as bottle gourd, white-flowered gourd, long melon, birdhouse gourd, New Guinea bean, Tasmania bean, and opo squash, is a vine grown for its fruit. It can be either harvested young to be consumed ...

'', known as the bottle gourd, calabash, opo squash, or long melon * ''

Lathyrus odoratus The sweet pea, ''Lathyrus odoratus'', is a flowering plant in the genus ''Lathyrus'' in the family Fabaceae (legumes), native to Sicily, southern Italy and the Aegean Islands. It is an annual climbing plant, growing to a height of , where suita ...

'', the sweet pea * ''

Lonicera japonica ''Lonicera japonica'', known as Japanese honeysuckle and golden-and-silver honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle native to eastern Asia. It is often grown as an ornamental plant, but has become an invasive species in a number of countries. Jap ...

'', known as Suikazura or Japanese honeysuckle * ''

Luffa ''Luffa'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical vines in the cucumber family (Cucurbitaceae). In everyday non-technical usage, the luffa, also spelled loofah, usually refers to the fruits of the species ''Luffa aegyptiaca'' and ''Luffa acutang ...

'', a genus of tropical and subtropical vines classified in the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae * ''

Lygodium ''Lygodium'' (climbing fern) is a genus of about 40 species of ferns, native to tropical regions across the world, with a few temperate species in eastern Asia and eastern North America. It is the sole genus in the family Lygodiaceae in the Pte ...

'', a genus of about 40 species of ferns, known as climbing ferns * ''

Mandevilla ''Mandevilla'' is a genus of tropical and subtropical flowering vines belonging to the family Apocynaceae. It was first described as a genus in 1840. A common name is rocktrumpet. ''Mandevilla'' species are native to the Southwestern United S ...

'', rocktrumpet, Brazilian jasmine * ''

Momordica charantia ''Momordica charantia'' (commonly called bitter melon; Goya; bitter apple; bitter gourd; bitter squash; balsam-pear; with many more names listed below) is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Afr ...

'', the bitter gourd * ''

Mikania scandens ''Mikania scandens'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Its common names include climbing hempvine, climbing hempweed, and louse-plaster. It is native to the eastern and central United States, with its distribution extendin ...

'', the hemp vine * ''

Muehlenbeckia adpressa ''Muehlenbeckia adpressa'', commonly known as climbing lignum, is a prostrate or climbing plant, native to Australia. It has thin red-brown stems up to in length. The leaves are long and wide. It occurs in coastal areas of Western Australia, ...

'', the macquarie vine * ''

Nepenthes ''Nepenthes'' () is a genus of carnivorous plants, also known as tropical pitcher plants, or monkey cups, in the monotypic family Nepenthaceae. The genus includes about 170 species, and numerous natural and many cultivated hybrids. They are mos ...

'', a genus of carnivorous plants known as tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups * '' Pandorea jasminoides'', bower vine * ''

Pandorea pandorana ''Pandorea pandorana'', commonly known as the wonga wonga vine or wonga-vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Bignoniaceae and is native to Australia, Malesia and the southwestern Pacific region. It is a woody scrambler or climber ...

'', the wonga wonga vine * '' Parthenocissus henryana'', Chinese Virginia-creeper, silver vein creeper * ''

Parthenocissus quinquefolia ''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'', known as Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger, is a species of flowering vine in the grape family, Vitaceae. It is native to eastern and central North America, from southeastern Ca ...

'', known as the Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger * ''

Parthenocissus tricuspidata ''Parthenocissus tricuspidata'' is a flowering plant in the grape family ( Vitaceae) native to eastern Asia in Korea, Japan, and northern and eastern China. Although unrelated to true ivy, it is commonly known as Boston ivy, grape ivy, and Jap ...

'', Boston ivy, Japanese ivy * ''

Passiflora edulis ''Passiflora edulis,'' commonly known as passion fruit, is a vine species of passion flower native to southern Brazil through Paraguay and northern Argentina. It is cultivated commercially in tropical and subtropical areas for its sweet, seedy ...

'', the passion fruit * ''

Periploca graeca ''Periploca graeca'', the silkvine, is an ornamental plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to southern Europe and the Middle East, and is sparingly naturalized in scattered locations in the eastern United States The United State ...

'', the silk vine * ''

Philodendron hederaceum ''Philodendron hederaceum'', the heartleaf philodendron ( syn. ''Philodendron scandens'') is a species of flowering plant in the family Araceae, native to Central America and the Caribbean which is common in the houseplant trade. ''Philodendron ...

'', heartleaf philodendron * '' Podranea ricasoliana'', the pink trumpet vine * ''

Pueraria lobata ''Pueraria montana'' var. ''lobata'', the East Asian arrowroot, or kudzu vine, is a perennial plant in the family Fabaceae. Names It is called ''gé'' () in Chinese, ''kuzu'' () in Japanese, and ''chik'' () or ''gal'' (갈; 葛) in Korean. ...

'', the kudzu vine * ''

Pyrostegia venusta ''Pyrostegia venusta'', also commonly known as flamevine or orange trumpet vine, is a plant species of the genus '' Pyrostegia'' of the family Bignoniaceae originally native to southern Brazil, Bolivia, northeastern Argentina and Paraguay; to ...

'', flamevine or orange trumpet vine * ''

Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides ''Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides'' (syn. ''Senecio confusus''), the Mexican flamevine, is a plant species in the family Asteraceae, native to Mexico, Central America and the West Indies. Description ''Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides'' is a twining, h ...

'', Mexican flamevine * ''

Rosa banksiae ''Rosa banksiae'', common names Lady Banks' rose, or just Banks' rose, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family, native to central and western China, in the provinces of Gansu, Guizhou, Henan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Sichuan and Yunnan, at alti ...

'', Lady Banks' rose * ''

Rosa filipes ''Rosa filipes'' is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae, native to western China, in Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan. It is a deciduous climbing shrub, growing to 3–5 m, rarely up to 9 m tall. The leaves are ...

'', climbing rose * Schizophragma, hydrangea vine * ''

Scindapsus pictus ''Scindapsus pictus'', or silver vine, is a species of flowering plant in the arum family (biology), family Araceae, native plant, native to India, Bangladesh, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. ...

'', the silver vine * ''

Sechium edule Chayote (''Sechium edule''), also known as mirliton and choko, is an edible plant belonging to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae. This fruit was first cultivated in Mesoamerica between southern Mexico and Honduras, with the most genetic diversity ...

'', known as chayote, christophene, or several other names * ''

Senecio angulatus ''Senecio angulatus'', also known as creeping groundsel and Cape ivy, is a Succulent plant, succulent flowering plant in the family Asteraceae that is native to South Africa. Cape ivy is a scrambling and a vine, twining herb that can become an N ...

'', known as Cape ivy * '' Solandra'', a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family * ''

Solanum laxum ''Solanum laxum'', commonly known as potato vine, potato climber or jasmine nightshade, is an evergreen vine in the family Solanaceae. It is native to South America and commonly grown as an ornamental garden plant. Description The jasmine-flo ...

'', the potato vine * ''

Stephania japonica ''Stephania japonica'', known as snake vine, is a vine often seen in sheltered areas near the sea. Description A dioecious vine without prickles. Greenish small flowers form on compound umbels, growing from the leaf axils in the warmer months ...

'', snake vine * '' Stephanotis floribunda'', known as Madagascar jasmine * ''

Strongylodon macrobotrys ''Strongylodon macrobotrys'', commonly known as jade vine, emerald vine''The Royal Horticultural Society A–Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants'', ed. Christopher Brickell, Dorling Kindersley, London, 1996, , p987 or turquoise jade vine, is a specie ...

'', the jade vine * '' Syngonium'', the goosefoot vine ** '' Syngonium podophyllum'', the arrowhead vine * ''

Thunbergia alata ''Thunbergia alata'', commonly called black-eyed Susan vine, is a herbaceous perennial climbing plant species in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to Eastern Africa, and has been naturalized in other parts of the world. It is grown as an or ...

'', black-eyed Susan * ''

Thunbergia grandiflora ''Thunbergia grandiflora'' is an evergreen vine in the family Acanthaceae. It is native to China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indochina and Myanmar and widely naturalised elsewhere. Common names include Bengal clockvine, Bengal trumpet, blue skyflo ...

'', known as the Bengal clock vine or blue trumpet vine * '' Thunbergia erecta'', the bush clock vine * ''

Toxicodendron radicans ''Toxicodendron radicans'', commonly known as eastern poison ivy or poison ivy, is an allergenic Asian and Eastern North American flowering plant in the genus ''Toxicodendron''. The species is well known for causing urushiol-induced contact derm ...

'', known as poison ivy * ''

Trachelospermum asiaticum ''Trachelospermum asiaticum'', the Asiatic jasmine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae and it is native to Asia. Its flowers resemble stars, so it is also referred to as yellow star jasmine or Asian star jasmine. This is a ...

'', Asiatic jasmine * ''

Trachelospermum jasminoides ''Trachelospermum jasminoides'' is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Apocynaceae, native plant, native to eastern and southeastern Asia (Japan, Korea, southern China and Vietnam).Flora of China''Trachelospermum jasmino ...

'', confederate jasmine, star jasmine * ''

'', any of about sixty species of grape * ''

Wisteria ''Wisteria'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae), that includes ten species of woody twining vines that are native to China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Southern Canada, the Eastern United States, and north o ...

'', a genus of flowering plants in the pea family * ''

Xerosicyos ''Xerosicyos'' is a flowering plant genus of the family (biology), family Cucurbitaceae. Its name comes from Greek language, Greek ''xeros'' (meaning "dry") and ''sicyos'' ("cucumber"). There are three species, all endemic to Madagascar. ''Xero ...

'', silver dollar vine

References

External links

* * * {{Authority control Plant morphology Plants by habit Plant life-forms