Soaring to great heights in just a single season and offering masses of long-lasting, confection-scented blossoms, chocolate vine is one of those plants that draws us in for a closer look and makes us want to grow some in our backyards. But should we? In temperate landscapes with deciduous forestry, the answer is increasingly ‘no.’
About Chocolate Vine
The chocolate vine, hardy in zones 5 to 8, poses an invasive threat to forested areas.
Hardy in zones 5 to 8, chocolate vine (Akebia quinata) is native to Asia. It has graceful, woody stems and burgundy-hued flowers that contrast brilliantly with its palm-shaped, chartreuse green leaves, so it’s no wonder we find it compelling. It also grows effortlessly in a wide range of conditions and spreads prolifically, which makes it a threat to forested areas.
Chocolate vine appears on invasive, nuisance, and watch lists in many woodland regions because it can grow or spread up to 20 feet per year, covering tree canopies and forest floors with dense shade. It also sets roots up to a foot deep, which discourages the regeneration of native plants crucial to local ecosystems.
After flowering is complete, large, oblong seed pods droop from the vines and are snacked on by woodland creatures that then spread them around. Chocolate vine also has few problems with insects or disease, which makes the genus even more aggressive in the wild.
Chocolate vine grows fastest in full sun but is not deterred by shade. In most regions, leaves drop in winter, but they may persist or remain evergreen in warmer zones. Leaves are oblong with a notched tip and a prominent midrib. Roots are equally tolerant of dry and wet soil.
In arid regions, where there are no dense forests, chocolate vine is not prohibited and can be grown safely as long as it is carefully maintained. In woodland states, particularly the Northeast United States, you’ll want to look for an alternative. Here are 11 plants for your consideration that have a similar profile to chocolate vine.
Cross Vine
A vigorous climber native to the southeastern U.S., cross vine features pendulous blooms that attract hummingbirds.
 | botanical name Bignonia capreolata |
|---|---|
 | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
 | height 30-50 feet |
 | hardiness zones 6-9 |
Also called ‘trumpet flower’ in some regions, cross vine is a chocolate vine alternative that grows vigorously with bright, pendulous blooms. Native to the southeastern U.S., cross vine is commonly found rambling up pine trees, fences, and home exteriors. It clings by root tendrils, which sprout along woody stems.
Appearing in mid-spring and lasting for several weeks, flowers are small and clustered in shades of yellow, orange, or red. Petals are reflexive and arranged in a trumpet shape around the central stamen. Deep, golden throats are particularly attractive to hummingbirds.
Cross vine spreads aggressively by root and seed if left to its own devices, but it is still considered a safe alternative to chocolate vines by most forestry services. It grows in most light and soil conditions, which makes it very hardy. Foliage is evergreen in warmer zones and turns red in fall.
Coral Honeysuckle
The stunning coral honeysuckle is beloved by avian visitors.
| | botanical name Lonicera sempervirens |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 10-20 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
This is another twining vine that soars to great heights quickly. With a mature length that’s slightly less intense than some of the other climbers, coral honeysuckle takes well to a trellis or arbor. It can also be trained as a ground cover.
The flowers are bright red with yellow throats. The petals are tubular and arranged in a whorled pattern on terminal stems, making them highly attractive to birds and pollinators. Blooms open in spring and come and go all summer. Small red berries extend this vine’s appeal through fall and winter.
When selecting a honeysuckle species to try in your landscape, take care to avoid Lonicera japonica, which is considered invasive in many regions. Most other species are considered safe if they are cared for properly.
Carolina Jessamine
Native to the southern US, Carolina jessamine is a tenacious evergreen vine with sweetly scented flowers.
| | botanical name Gelsemium sempervirens |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 10-20 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-10 |
This tenacious chocolate vine alternative is an evergreen vine is native to the southern United States. It’s commonly found rambling up fences, trees, and arbors. It features yellow, buttercup-shaped flowers that are sweetly scented and clustered together. Its leaves are lance-shaped, glossy, and dark green, providing a stunning backdrop to lemon-hued blooms.
Jessamine’s vines are woody and twining, soaring to heights of up to 20 feet at maturity, but it does not pose any major threats to existing flora. When this plant is not provided a structure on which to climb, it will sprawl as a groundcover or mound on top of itself like a small shrub. In fall, it produces capsule-shaped fruit that’s attractive to pollinators.
Clematis
This vine features ray-shaped flowers in various colors and patterns.
| | botanical name Clematis spp. |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-18 feet |
| | hardiness zones 3-9 |
Height, bloom time, and fragrance attributes vary from species to species, but clematis plants make a wonderful alternative to chocolate vine in most zones. Flowers come in shades of red, pink, white, purple, and blue, as well as variegated patterns. They are ray-shaped with four to eight petals and prominent central disks that have hairlike stamen.
Branches are delicate and easily broken, so clematis vines perform best on small-piece trellises made of wood, resin, or wrought iron. They also require some protection from strong winds. Flowers can be heavy and may cascade forward if left to their own devices. Use garden ties or manual encouragement to keep things moving upward.
Opt for species other than Clematis terniflora, which is an invasive species in parts of the U.S.
Star Jasmine
A perennial in warm zones, star jasmine features sporadically blooming, star-shaped flowers.
| | botanical name Trachelospermum jasminoides |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial shade |
| | height 2-20 feet |
| | hardiness zones 7-10 |
Frequently sold as an annual in cooler regions, star jasmine returns perennially in warmer zones. On wiry green stems that grow quickly, a dense network of twining vines offers clusters of star-shaped, white to off-white flowers in spring. Blooms have a light, sweet scent and open sporadically throughout the rest of the season.
Leaves are smooth and bright green, contrasting beautifully with clusters of creamy flowers. Star jasmine prefers dappled shade or locations with morning rather than afternoon sun. In areas with cold winters, it can be brought inside and cared for like a houseplant until warm temperatures return next spring.
Passion flower
Exotic-looking passion flower vines thrive in full sun but need shelter from strong winds.
| | botanical name Passiflora spp. |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 10-30 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-10 |
With nearly 500 species in the Passiflora genus, passion flowers come in a whole spectrum of heights and grow vigorously upward with support. Blooms are saucer-shaped and exotic-looking, measuring somewhere between one and three inches wide. Although they bloom for just one day, flowers keep coming all summer long. Color options include blue, purple, pink, red, yellow, and white.
Stems are smooth and copper to green in color. They adhere to fences, trellises, and walls by tendril and have palm or paw-shaped leaves. Passion flower vines flower prolifically in full sun that’s concentrated in the first half of the day. Blooms and stems are both vulnerable to high winds, so plant them in a location that’s somewhat sheltered.
If you are planting Passiflora incarnata in zones 7 and higher, plant it where it won’t crowd out other plants or take over an area you don’t want it to grow in.
Trumpet Creeper
Fall trimming tames trumpet creeper, preventing it from overshadowing neighboring plants.
| | botanical name Campsis radicans |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 30-40 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4-10 |
This North American native vine soars to great heights quickly. Vines are woody and thick, especially as they mature, so a sturdy structure is required for climbing. Flowers are tubular and orange-red, averaging one to three inches in width. They grow in clusters on terminal branches, drawing hummingbirds like crazy and turning into bean-shaped seed pods late in the season.
Leaves are small in size and shiny on top with serrated margins. They turn red in the fall, which is a lovely bonus in the autumn landscape. Like chocolate vine, trumpet creeper has aggressive roots and seeds. If left unchecked, it forms colonies and crowds out other plants. To keep it tamed, cut it back in the fall and stay on top of suckers that sprout from root stolons.
Mandevilla Vine
This popular tropical vine is suitable for container gardens or balconies.
| | botanical name Mandevilla spp. |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 3-10 feet |
| | hardiness zones 10-11 |
Flowers are large, colorful, and showy on this popular tropical vine. While it does not grow quite as tall as the chocolate vine and does not have much of a scent, Mandevilla is quite easy to grow and lovely to look at.
Its vines are flexible with a twining habit that wraps around just about anything. Flowers are trumpet-shaped with reflexive petals and deep throats that are highly attractive to pollinators. Leaves are oval, dark, and glossy. They are arranged in a whorled pattern on multi-branched stems.
While mandevilla vines are hardy and evergreen in only two zones, they take well to overwintering inside where the temperatures get chilly. They do not have large root systems and are perfect for a container garden or balcony railing.
Climbing Hydrangea
With slow growth and thick vines, climbing hydrangeas boast white flowers.
| | botanical name Hydrangea spp. |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Partial shade |
| | height 10-60 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
There are four species of climbing hydrangeas and many cultivars within them. All are characterized by slow, steady growth and thick, woody vines, and most grow to great heights once established.
Climbing hydrangeas cling by both twining stems and aerial roots. This means they can ramble up brick and sided exteriors as well as trellises and fences without missing a beat. They will also scale tree bark, potentially compromising a tree’s vascular system, so be sure to locate them carefully.
Flowers are white to cream in color and corymb-shaped with 4-inch petioles attaching them to the vines. They have a light, sweet scent and average six to eight inches in diameter. Leaves are large, dark on top, and sometimes hairy.
Black Eyed Susan Vine
A quick-growing vine with petite orange-red flowers, the Black-eyed Susan vine attracts bees and butterflies.
| | botanical name Thunbergia alata |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun |
| | height 3-8 feet |
| | hardiness zones 10-11 |
Another smaller-scale alternative to chocolate vine, Black-eyed Susan vine maxes out at about eight feet in height. Often potted up as an annual because it grows quickly and has a small hardiness range (10-11), this clinger has broad, dark leaves and petite orange-red flowers with brown centers.
Blooming steadily from summer to fall, black-eyed Susan vine is a magnet for bees and butterflies. Its stems are delicate, but leaf petioles will twine around wrought iron and small wooden structures with a little encouragement. It can also be planted as a ground cover and left to mound up on itself, creating a dense blanket of bright flowers.
If you live in a warmer region, be careful planting this one. It can be aggressive and is classed as an invasive species in tropical and subtropical regions. In these areas, grow it in a container, and deadhead spent blooms.
Nasturtium
The compact root systems of this plant make it well-suited for being grown in containers.
| | botanical name Tropaeolum majus |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1-10 feet |
| | hardiness zones Not Hardy |
Nasturtium is an annual plant with a bushy, trailing habit that grows quickly as the season progresses. It has three-inch, petunia-like flowers in shades of yellow, orange, and red, but they are almost secondary to the umbrella-like leaves that cover surfaces almost overnight.
Like chocolate vine flowers, nasturtium has a strong scent that fills the air around it (and deters many garden pests as a bonus). While nasturtium is not particularly clingy, its stem structure and leaf shape make it easy to train up an obelisk or trellis. Its root systems are small, making it well-suited to container living.
Final Thoughts
When selecting a vine for your garden or landscape, investigate a potential genus and confirm that it will not cause harm to your local ecosystem. There are plenty of places where chocolate vine can be enjoyed without concern, but many areas where it’s discouraged or prohibited.
Learn about the growth habits of chocolate vine alternatives and consider factors such as mature height and scent profile before making a final decision. We’re confident one of the plants we’ve discussed here today will sufficiently scratch your itch for a sweet-smelling, high-scrambling vine.
