The Fast-Growing Vine That Will Add Beautiful Fall Foliage To Your Yard

Ornamental vines can be really useful in your outdoor space to cover fences, create privacy, or just add beauty to trellises or pergolas. While there are some vining plants to avoid growing in your yard because they can be very aggressive and choke out other plants, others can be visually stunning. In fact, you can add some wonderful climbing plants that will make you feel like you're living a fairytale without the fear of them taking over. One fast-growing variety that will add vibrant fall foliage to your yard is crimson glory vine (Vitis coignetiae). This outstanding climber is an ornamental type of grape that is not edible for humans or pets, but the berries produced in late summer are very attractive to birds and other wildlife.

Although crimson glory vine is not considered an invasive species, it is a vigorous grower that can become a problem if you don't stay on top of pruning. This deciduous ornamental vine thrives in USDA growing zones 5 through 9. Its vines can reach lengths of as much as 30 feet in just 10 years. The large leaves have an appealing heart shape and can provide a lot of shade depending on where you plant your vine. Some leaves can be as large as 12 inches across. If you love color, get ready for brilliance in the fall when the leaves of this plant turn a beautiful crimson and ruby red.

Crimson glory vine is easy to grow, so you shouldn't have any problems getting it going. Plant the vines where they will get at least 4 to 6 hours of full sunlight each day during the growing seasons of spring and summer. This plant can handle a little bit of dappled shade, but you don't want to plant it where there is a lot of cover. This pretty vine will grow well under a variety of soil conditions, including sandy loams, as long as the soil is well-draining. Good air circulation is another important growing feature that crimson glory vine needs to thrive. Without this, the vines can be susceptible to problems with diseases such as powdery mildew.

When you first plant crimson glory vine, you will need to water it on a regular basis while taking care not to overwater. Once it's established, you only need to water during dry spells so the soil doesn't dry out. This vigorous climber doesn't require regular fertilizing, but when you first plant it, it can help to mix some manure or aged compost into the soil. Pruning is one important task that needs to be done each year. Because this vine has an aggressive growth habit, pruning hard in the late fall or winter, after the leaves have fallen, can prevent it from getting out of control. You can also safely prune young shoots in the middle of summer to help control the spread of the vine. If well-maintained, you'll find that crimson glory vine is one of the best climbing plants that can add shade and beauty to your pergola.