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Sunday - August 16, 2009

From: St. Augustine, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Vines
Title: Vine for lanai in St. Augustine FL
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

What vine can I grow to attach to a screened in lanai around my pool? Will it damage my screen?

ANSWER:

Since we have no personal experience in this, about all we can tell you is what vines are native in and around St. John's County, Florida, and what structural support those vines would ordinarily require. Since we are a little unclear on exactly what kind of structure you have, we want to begin by telling you that all climbing vines need a firm support. Some climb on trees, trellises, stone or brick walls, but all can be quite heavy as they mature, and will pull down anything that doesn't have the strength to bear that weight. Depending on what adaptation each vine has made to climb, the material on which they climb is important, in that some of them can simply destroy a wooden structure, or even damage brick walls. All of these vines will need some kind of structure on which to climb. If your lanai is only screening, without a substantial framework where the climbing vines can cling, the vines will either stay on the ground and make a groundcover or take the structure down with their weight. Follow the plant links to the individual page on each plant for more complete information.

Vines for screen enclosure in St. Augustine FL

Bignonia capreolata (crossvine) - perennial, evergreen, reaching 50 ft. in length. Claws at ends of tendrils allow crossvine to cling to stone, brick or fences without support. Blooms red, yellow March to May, medium water use, sun or part shade, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. More information from Floridata.

Gelsemium sempervirens (evening trumpetflower) - evergreen, twining vine, will climb into trees, scramble over fences and structures, needs firm support and training with elastic twist-ties to climb, blooms yellow December to May, medium water use, sun or part shade, would need columns or arbor to climb, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. WARNING: Flowers, leaves and roots are poisonous. More information from Floridata.

Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle) - high climbing, twining vine to 20 ft. long, semi-evergreeen, blooms red, yellow March to June, medium water use, sun or part shade, attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. More information from Floridata.

Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) - woody, deciduous vine, high climbing or trailing; climbs by means of tendrils with disks that fasten onto bark or rock, blooms white, green May and June, low water use, sun, part shade or shade. WARNING: Berries are highly toxic. More information from Floridata.

Bignonia capreolata

Gelsemium sempervirens

Lonicera sempervirens