The Fast-Growing Vine That Can Disguise A Fence While Attracting Hummingbirds

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Are you looking for ways to make your garden space look more attractive and appealing? Perhaps there's a plain fence that's staring at you every time you go out of your back door to spend some time in your yard. Wouldn't it be nice if, instead of a boring fence, you're greeted with the vision of a gorgeous climbing vine and the glimpse of a hummingbird or two? Well, you can make that dream a reality by planting a fast-growing vine that will not only disguise your uninteresting fence, but also attract hummingbirds to your garden oasis. The cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) is exactly what you're looking for. It's one of the most stunning plants to grow along your pre-existing fence.

This vine, which is native to South America and Mexico, is an annual that grows quickly from seed. If given the right structure to climb on, it can reach a lofty height of 20 feet with a spread of 6 feet. The slender stems sport soft fern-like leaves and scarlet trumpet-shaped blooms from summer until the first frost. Cypress vine, which is only cold hardy in USDA zones 11 through 12, enjoys growing in a sunny spot and well-drained soil. It can also self-seed, so you can find it emerging again in spring year after year, even if you live in a colder region. Just keep in mind that this plant is mildly toxic to humans and also poisonous to dogs, cats, and horses.

A fast-growing cypress vine can quickly cover your fence, but you'll need to provide some type of structure for it to twine around, especially if you have a solid fence made of timber or another type of material. This can be as easy as installing a trellis by positioning it at least 1 inch away from the fence, so that you can guide the vine through the slats of the trellis easily. With the clever use of a trellis, you can DIY a stunning greenery display on your fence.

Alternatively, you can string some wire in horizontal lines from one end of the fence to the other and secure the ends with eye hooks. You could even create a grid pattern with the wire, if you wish. Plus, you can buy the necessary parts in a kit, like this green PVC coated wire rope kit from the Hannger Store. If you do this, you can carefully wind the vining stems around the wires as they grow, just like you would with a grape vine. You'll need to do this because cypress vine doesn't cling or climb naturally. Once you've got your support in place, it's just a case of sowing a few cypress vine seeds and waiting for the plant to grow. You'll most likely find that your fence will be totally covered in just a month or two.

There's a good reason why cypress vine can also be referred to as hummingbird vine – those vibrant red flowers really do attract the little hummers to your garden, once they spot them. Although the flowers have star shaped petals, they are also tubular at the base, which makes them just perfect for the hummingbirds' long bills. On top of that, these blooms are absolutely filled with that sweet nectar that the hummers are always on the lookout for.

Cypress vine has a long blooming season as well, from early summer right into the fall or until the first frost hits. This is particularly useful because hummingbirds need to fuel up for their long flights southward towards the end of summer. Once they find your flowering vine, you can guarantee they'll hang around for a bit to get their fill of that lovely sweet nectar. Finally, you might also be interested in growing a variety of other flowers that will transform your space into a hummingbird heaven.