Vines offer a lush, visually pleasing accent adding extra height to any home or garden. Their upkeep requires minimal effort, as these prolific climbers do most of the work in a relatively short time span. In addition to being a beautiful decorative accent, they also provide extra privacy for your property as they easily cover a trellis or fence.
However, some types of vines may not survive Florida’s extremely hot and humid summers. Luckily, there are some beautiful varieties of flowering vines known to not only survive but also to thrive in sweltering Florida temperatures.
Here are fifteen varieties of tropical vines that will flourish in Floridian summers:
Confederate Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)
The Confederate Jasmine prefers areas with partial to full sun and can reach lengths of up to six feet. It manages to flourish in spite of the extreme Florida temperatures. Its gorgeous white flowers make a dramatic appearance in the months of May and June.
Allamanda Vine
This tropical, fast-growing beauty can grow and thrive in some of the hottest zones in the Sunshine state. It’s a perfect choice for bordering a pool or patio and boasts bright yellow blossoms. It’s advisable to wear protective gloves when planting and trimming it, as it’s quite toxic.
Carolina Jasmine
This flowering, fragrant vine is famous for its bright yellow flowers, with stems growing up to 20 feet in length. Carolina Jasmine vines blossom in late winter and spring. They do well in hot climates but won’t survive if temperatures drop drastically.
Bleeding Heart Vine
This tropical plant sprouts clusters of gorgeous, heart-shaped red and white flowers set off by dark green leaves. These vines flourish in full sun, grow rapidly, and can be easily cut back to a preferred length.
Coral Honeysuckle
These spectacular vines can grow from three to twenty feet in length. Their attractive clusters of red tubular blooms are hummingbird magnets. This plant is not invasive as it’s a slower-growing variety and thrives in a full-sun area.
Bougainvillea
This popular tropical vine generously offers year-round brightly-hued flowers (red, white, pink, purple, and orange.) Bougainvillea does its best work in full sun. If the vine doesn’t receive at least six hours of sunlight, the blooms will not achieve maximum brightness.
Florida Flame Vine
This beautiful vine needs regular trimming as it propagates quickly in full sun conditions. Its bright orange blossoms bring a dramatic vibrancy to any property! Additionally, these spectacular flowers are known to attract multiple pollinators.
Pandora Vine
This easy-to-maintain, fast-growing vine sprouts attractive white flowers and prefers full sun with a little bit of shade during the higher summer temperatures.
Mandevilla Vine
The Mandevilla vine can tolerate the extreme Florida temperatures, however, it does require some shade in the hottest part of the days. This vine tends to do better in areas with indirect sunlight, otherwise, the leaves will get singed.
Passion Vine (Passiflora spp.)
This tropical favorite will thrive in both partial shade and full sun. It can reach lengths of up to 25 feet and boasts exquisite light purple ballerina-like blooms. These blooms are guaranteed to attract many varieties of butterflies and other pollinators.
Thunbergia grandiflora (Sky Vine)
This prolific, fast-growing variety loves full sun but will be happier if it’s protected from extreme afternoon temperatures. The Sky Vine is known for its elegant blue flowers tinged with soft violet.
Quisqualis indica (Rangoon Creeper)
The Rangoon Creeper can be invasive if it isn’t regularly pruned or allowed room to spread. It can reach lengths of up to 12 feet and has pink blooms that turn red as the plant matures.
Perennial Morning Glory
These durable vines can withstand high Florida temperatures and are relatively easy to grow. They can attain lengths of up to 15 feet and prefer full sun in areas with well-drained soil. The delicate, gorgeous flowers live up to their name and only open up in the morning before the sun reaches its mid-day peak. For more information on the different varieties of Morning Glory, check out this guide here.
Chinese hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea)
The Chinese hat plant is a great option for Florida gardens, as it thrives in full and partial sun. Additionally, it requires very little watering and prefers well-drained soil. This aptly-named attractive vine sprouts unique, hat-shaped orange, yellow and red blooms.
Petrea Vine
The Petra vine will flourish in both full and partial sunlight if regularly trimmed. The vine produces clusters of soft lavender blooms, contrasting beautifully with the rich green of the leaves and stems.
