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Moosa Creek Blog
MAY
30

Lovely Vines for Shady Arbors

Creekside Chat

 Nothing makes a garden look alluring more than an archway covered in vines. You might not realize it, but there are many native California vines that would look gorgeous draped over an arbor. A favorite is Chaparral Honeysuckle (Lonicera subspicata).  Its creamy white and pink honeysuckle flowers with yellow stamens are delicate summer blooms, and the small orange berries that follow are both ornamental and food for birds. They are edible – but bitter tasting – for humans, too, so this is a safe plant to have around children.

Another lovely native vine is Virgin’s Bower (Clematis ligusticifolia) which looks as elegant covering an archway or draped on the ground around other plantings. You can see it growing into the trees in the wild hilly areas around San Diego County. Its feathery, creamy flowers are a fine accent to other brighter colors in the garden, or even in a ‘white’ garden.  Virgin’s Bower does enjoy moist soil for the first couple of years, and can take partial shade, so plant it with other thirstier natives such as Brown Twig Dogwood (Cornus glabrata) and Sycamore (Platanus racemosa). You could plant it on an archway next to a busy birdbath and its roots will appreciate the moisture. For an even more drought tolerant option there is the Chaparral Clematis (Clematis lasiantha)

The happy pink cup shaped flowers of our native Island Morning Glory (Calystegia macrostegia) will cover an arbor or unsightly fence as a backdrop to a romantic garden.

If you have a sturdy porch shade cover or pergola, why not grow some marvelous native Roger’s Red grapes (Vitis californica ‘Roger’s Red’)? In spring the lush green leaves provide shade, in summer attractive bunches of dark purple grapes add richness and bird activity, in fall as the nights cool the leaves turn a flaming red, and finally in winter the leaves will drop to allow light and warmth to filter through. This is truly a vine for all seasons. In the wild the grapes are small and tart, and perfect for birds to eat. Given more water and a little pruning the size of the grapes can swell to be enjoyable eating by humans as well.

Whether you have an arbor, arch, pergola, fenceline or trellis, grow lovely and unfussy California native vines on them, and give the butterflies and birds a treat as well.

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