Window boxes decorate the outsides of buildings, enhancing the view. Growing perennial flowering vines take advantage of vertical growing space with cascading stems draping over the edge of the box. Choose perennial flowering vines that are adapted to the light conditions where the window box is located.
Full sun exposure damages plants by burning their leaves unless they are sun-loving perennials. Blue passion flower vines (Passiflora caerulea), growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9, produce 3- to 4-inch-wide flowers from summer through fall. The blossoms are made up of white outer petals and narrow blue inner petals with a white and purple ring around the center. The 10- to 15-foot-long stems are covered with dark green leaves and produce edible oval orange-yellow fruit in the fall. Cypress vines (Ipomoea quamoclit) offer a tropical look in USDA zones 6 through 10, with narrow evergreen leaves and bright red flowers in summer and fall. The tubular blossoms attract butterflies and hummingbirds to the window box.
Full to Part Sun
Most vines grow well in sunny conditions, even if it is shady for part of the day. Black-eyed Susan vines (Thunbergia alata) grow best in USDA zones 10 and 11, reaching 20 feet long without pruning and growing as much as 8 feet a year. The vines produce 1 1/2-inch-wide yellow flowers with dark brown centers in summer and fall. “Nelly Moser” clematis vines (Clematis “Nelly Moser”) grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 4 through 11, with 10-foot stems offering 6- to 8-inch-wide white blossoms that have lavender stripes in the spring. The vines bloom again in the summer and the flowers last longer when grown in partial sun.
Window boxes in partial shade provide relief from the hot summer sun, while still providing plenty of light. “Madame Galen” trumpet creeper (Campsis x tagliabuana “Madame Galen”) reaches 15 to 25 feet long in USDA zones 4 through 9. Vines are covered in 15-inch-long shiny green leaves with 3-inch-long pinkish-salmon trumpet-shaped blooms growing in clusters throughout the summer. Removing dying blossoms prevents the vine from going to seed. Sun Parasol white mandevilla vines (Mandevilla x “Sunparacoho” grow in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 and 11. This vine produces glossy evergreen leaves on cascading 6- to 8-foot-long stems; 2- to 3-inch-wide white flowers have yellow throats and bloom from spring until the end of fall. This vine attracts butterflies to the window box.
Growing vines in full shade conditions subject the plants to lack of light and cooler temperatures. “Atrosanguinea” Cross Vine (Bignonia capreolata “Atrosanguinea”) grows best in USDA plant hardiness zones 5 through 9, reaching up to 30 feet long when untrimmed. This vine produces green lance-shaped leaves and dark purplish-red flowers from spring through the summer. Winter jasmine vines (Jasminum nudiflorum), thriving in USDA plant hardiness zones 6 through 10, reach 10 to 15 feet with willowy green stems and yellow flowers blooming in late winter and spring.
Your Planting Articles
- Fine Gardening Plant Guide: Passiflora Caerulea (Blue Passion Flower)
- Monrovia: Cypress Vine
- Fine Gardening Plant Guide: Thunbergia Alata (Black-Eyed Susan Vine)
- Fine Gardening Plant Guide: Clematis “Nelly Moser”
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Campsis x Tagliabuana “Madame Galen”
- Monrovia: Sun Parasol White Mandevilla
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Bignonia Capreolata “Atrosanguinea”
- Missouri Botanical Garden: Jasminum Nudiflorum
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