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 exclu ...

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

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

. 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, moonfl ...

'' 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 an ...

'' 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 tend ...

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 Book ...

), or even inflorescences ('' Passiflora'') * 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 climbing plants in the grape family, Vitaceae. It contains about 12 species native to the Himalayas, eastern Asia and North America. Several are grown for ornamental use, notably ''P. henryana'', ''P. q ...

'') * 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 ('' 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 ...

) 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 lianas, 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 ...

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 vines in the genus '' Actinidia''. The most common cultivar group of kiwi ...

, 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 helic ...

, in contrast to vines that climb using

s or suckers. Many bines have rough stems or downward-pointing bristles to aid their grip. Hops (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 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'') 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 *'' Lagen ...

like cucumbers 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 t ...

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 supplem ...

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 sup ...

s, pergolas,

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 herbivores. 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 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 equilibriu ...

mediated by volume changes in the epidermal cells 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 wid ...

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

'', the confederate vine * '' Aptenia cordifolia'', 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'', the rattan vine * '' Bignonia'', 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'', native wisteria * '' Calystegia sepium'', hedge bindweed * '' Campsis'', 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 flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flo ...

'', 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'', butterfly pea * ''Ceropegia linearis'', the rosary vine or sweetheart vine * ''Cissus antarctica'', the kangaroo vine * ''Cissus hypoglauca'', the water vine * Watermelon, ''Citrullus lanatus'' var. ''lanatus'''','' the watermelon * ''Cobaea scandens'', cup-and-saucer vine, cathedral bells, Mexican ivy * Cochliasanthus, known as corkscrew vine, snail vine, snail creeper * ''Cucumis sativus'', the cucumber * ''Cyphostemma juttae'', known as wild grape * ''Delairea'', German ivy * ''Dolichandra unguis-cati'', cat's claw creeper, funnel creeper, or cat's claw trumpet * ''Epipremnum aureum'', known as golden pothos and devil's ivy * ''Fallopia baldschuanica'', the Russian vine * ''Ficus pumila'', known as the climbing fig * ''Hardenbergia violacea'', lilac vine * ''Hedera helix'', known as common ivy, English ivy, European ivy, or ivy * ''Hibbertia scandens'', climbing guinea flower, golden guinea vine, gold guinea plant * ''Hoya (plant), Hoya'', a genus of about 300 species of climbing or creeping plants * ''Humulus lupulus'', common hop * ''Hydrangea petiolaris'', climbing hydrangea * ''Ipomoea cairica'', known as Cairo morning glory, coast morning glory and railroad creeper * ''Ipomoea indica'', known as ocean blue morning glory * ''Jasminum polyanthum'', pink jasmine * ''Kadsura japonica'', kadsura vine * ''Kennedia coccinea'', the common coral vine * ''Kennedia nigricans, black coral pea * ''Lagenaria siceraria'', known as the bottle gourd, calabash, opo squash, or long melon * ''Lathyrus odoratus'', the sweet pea * ''Lonicera japonica'', known as Suikazura or Japanese honeysuckle * ''Luffa'', a genus of tropical and subtropical vines classified in the cucumber family, Cucurbitaceae * ''Lygodium'', a genus of about 40 species of ferns, known as climbing ferns * ''Mandevilla'', rocktrumpet, Brazilian jasmine * ''Momordica charantia'', the bitter gourd * ''Mikania scandens'', the hemp vine * ''Muehlenbeckia adpressa'', the macquarie vine * ''Nepenthes'', a genus of carnivorous plants known as tropical pitcher plants or monkey cups * ''Pandorea jasminoides'', bower vine * ''Pandorea pandorana'', the wonga wonga vine * ''Parthenocissus henryana'', Chinese Virginia-creeper, silver vein creeper * ''Parthenocissus quinquefolia'', known as the Virginia creeper, Victoria creeper, five-leaved ivy, or five-finger * ''Parthenocissus tricuspidata'', Boston ivy, Japanese ivy * ''Passiflora edulis'', the passion fruit * ''Periploca graeca'', the silk vine * ''Philodendron hederaceum'', heartleaf philodendron * ''Podranea ricasoliana'', the pink trumpet vine * ''Pueraria lobata'', the kudzu vine * ''Pyrostegia venusta'', flamevine or orange trumpet vine * ''Pseudogynoxys chenopodioides'', Mexican flamevine * ''Rosa banksiae'', Lady Banks' rose * ''Rosa filipes'', climbing rose * Schizophragma, hydrangea vine * ''Scindapsus pictus'', the silver vine * ''Sechium edule'', known as chayote, christophene, or several other names * ''Senecio angulatus'', known as Cape ivy * ''Solandra'', a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family * ''Solanum laxum'', the potato vine * ''Stephania japonica'', snake vine * ''Stephanotis floribunda'', known as Madagascar jasmine * ''Strongylodon macrobotrys'', the jade vine * ''Syngonium'', the goosefoot vine ** ''Syngonium podophyllum'', the arrowhead vine * ''Thunbergia alata'', black-eyed Susan * ''Thunbergia grandiflora'', known as the Bengal clock vine or blue trumpet vine * ''Thunbergia erecta'', the bush clock vine * ''Toxicodendron radicans'', known as poison ivy * ''Trachelospermum asiaticum'', Asiatic jasmine * ''Trachelospermum jasminoides'', confederate jasmine, star jasmine * ''

'', any of about sixty species of grape * ''Wisteria'', a genus of flowering plants in the pea family * ''Xerosicyos'', silver dollar vine

References

External links

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