Vines

Fences, walls, lattice work — spruce it up with a vine!

 Dutchman’s Pipe (Aristolochia durior)

This is a vigorous, old fashioned vine that could cover a structure in a single season when well watered.  Large, 4” – 10” heart shaped leaves make this vine ideal for screening.  Hidden among the leaves  in May to June are yellow 1” – 1.5”yellow green flowers which resemble antique meerschaum pipes.

Height: 20’ – 30’

Zone 4    to      Full Sun to Part Shade  

Native Hop Vine (Humulus lupulus neomexicanus)

An attractive, fast growing, semi-wind tolerant vine. Leaves are rich green and maple-like that mix with clusters of yellow-green flowers followed by papery cone-like fruit in late summer. Trellising is highly recommended. Plant in amended garden soil and cut back in fall to force new spring growth. A great alternative to
Virginia Creeper on a cedar fence or arbor!

Zone 3       Full sun to filtered shade

 Golden Hops (Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’)

Plant this eye-popping chartreuse leaved  cousin of the local native in Sun to Part Sun.   Same cultural  practices as the Native Hop. 

Height: 20’   Width:4-5’

Zone 4      Sun to partial sun

Kintzley’s Ghost Honeysuckle Vine (Lonicera prolifera ‘Kintzley’s Ghost’)

2006 Plant Select® This is a great honeysuckle vine with pale blue-green leaves and pale yellow flowers in spring, but what makes this a standout is the unique flower bracts that make the whole vine look like, as the propagator described it, “A galaxy of full moons”! Not picky about soil type! The vine was found growing over the grave site of Dr Kintzley, its Ames, Iowa officinado (and subsequently taken to Fort Collins, Colorado), hence the name!

Height: 10 – 20’

 Zone 4       Full sun to part shade

Dropmore Honeysuckle (Lonicera x brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’)

Our customers asked us for something that would do well on a fence or trellis and we chose this one! This fast growing twining vine has fragrant orange-red blossoms that bloom in profusion in June and sporadically the rest of the season. This one is sure to spruce up a drab old fence or trellis! Not considered drought tolerant but certainly hardy!

Zone 3       Full sun to part shade

Bittersweet, Diane and Hercules (Celastrus scandens)

A hardy vigorous twining climber with rounded leaves and greenish flowers comes into its own in autumn when the seed pods split open showing yellow and red on the female plants! Grown for dried arrangements and bird food. This is an expensive treat at the florist in autumn, much more fun to grow your own! By having male and female plants in one pot you are set for the autumn display! Matures to 12’ long vines by 4’ wide. Supply limited.

Zone 2       Full Sun to Part Sun

Valiant Grape (Vitis ‘Valiant’)

This is the grape to cover an arbor going through hot summers and bitterly cold winters without dieback. It was developed at South Dakota State University on the plains and has been proven reliable in Casper. The yield is earlier than Concord and the semi-sweet fruit is very plentiful so you can really make jelly and jam and homemade raisins, too! This medium sized clustered blue grape is so vigorous that you don’t need to prune the vines back to twelve buds to maximize fruit production and quality. Just let it go to the size you want and enjoy!

Zone 3       Full sun

Landscaping is an upfront cost! But consider the value that landscaping can have on your property—upwards of 30%. A few neighborhoods have mature landscapes, or are in the ‘big tree’ area in local real estate jargon and come with the inherent enhanced value and ‘curb appeal’. Most of us don’t live there though but we can create ‘curb appeal’ and enhanced value an order of magnitude above the initial expense in a few short years! Besides, landscaping has an added benefit—the pleasure derived while watching the results of your efforts grow!

Rain Gauge

Throughout this site, the following are used as guidelines for watering established plants:

These plants need regular watering somewhat like a bluegrass lawn so that they never dry to depth in the root system during the active growing season and need occasional winter watering to prevent root dessication and resultant plant death.

These plants are adapted to intermittent deep watering with soil drying to a depth of a few inches between waterings. Watering frequency may be every couple of weeks during the active growing season and maybe only one winter watering for optimal care.

These truly xeric plants can live with our 12 inches of natural precipitation and only need a winter watering during a multi-year drought but they will thrive with a monthly watering. Overwatering will kill some of these.

Privacy Policy

Contact Us