Native Plants

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Saturday - September 29, 2012

From: Berkeley, CA
Region: Select Region
Topic: Container Gardens, Vines
Title: Vine for planter box in Berkeley CA
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I live in Berkeley, CA and want to plant a vine to crawl up a trellis on my deck. It gets sun most of the day. I need to use planter boxes because there is only patio below and would like something that grows fast and does not attract bees. Would appreciate your thoughts..thanks so much!!!

ANSWER:

Here are several vines that are native to you part of California that might be what you are looking for. I can give no guarantees that bees or other insects won't visit any of these vines when they are in bloom since they are major pollinators of flowering plants. I wouldn't expect any of the plants below to be swarming with bees or other insects at any time, but I would imagine they will visit them when they are in bloom.

Clematis lasiantha (Pipestem clematis). Here is more information from Yerba Buena Nursery and Bay Natives.

Clematis ligusticifolia (Western white clematis). Here is more information from Yerba Buena Nursery.

Lonicera hispidula (Pink honeysuckle). Here's more information from Yerba Buena Nursery and from Bay Natives. Yerba Buena Nursery says that the foliage is sparse and may not attractive planted alone, but you may like its spare look.

Vitis californica (California grape). See more information about the variety 'Roger's Red' from Yerba Buena Nursery near Woodside and Bay Natives in San Francisco. The California grape is woody and can grow very large. This may or may not be the type of vine you are looking for.

Mahonia pinnata (Wavyleaf barberry), according to our Native Plant Database, can act as vine or a small shrub. It is evergreen. Here is more information from Las Pilitas Nursery in Escondido and Santa Margarita.

You can see more vines native to California by doing a COMBINATION SEARCH in our Native Plant Database. Choose "California" from the Select State or Province option and "vine" from Habit (general appearance) to get a list of more than forty vines native to California.

Since your vine will be growing in a planter, I recommend that you read our How to Article, Container Gardening with Native Plants.

From the Image Gallery

Pipestem clematis
Clematis lasiantha

Western white clematis
Clematis ligusticifolia

Pink honeysuckle
Lonicera hispidula