12 Vining Plants To Avoid Growing In Your Yard (And Better Alternatives To Try)

There's nothing more stunning than a glorious flowering vine growing over a trellis or covering an ugly fence. But choosing the right species of vining plant to grow in your yard is vital so that you don't inadvertently end up with a monster that's uncontrollable, or worse still, highly invasive. In general, it does pay to familiarize yourself with plants that are regarded as invasive in your state and to carefully consider the growth habit of any vining plant you're considering to ensure it's not going to cause damage to your home or take over your garden completely. Some vining plants to avoid growing in your yard include Japanese honeysuckle, Chinese and Japanese wisteria, English and Canary ivy, Japanese clematis, and chocolate vine.

But fear not if you've just installed a gorgeous trellis or garden arbor, ready and waiting for a stunning vine to cover it, because there are plenty of alternatives you can grow instead. You'll find that these are generally well-behaved and will delight you with their unique features. Vining plants you can grow with complete confidence include Carolina jessamine, coral honeysuckle, leatherflower, passion vine, and Virginia creeper. Many of these are native to the U.S. and can add immense beauty to your landscape. You'll also find that a good number of the native flowering vines will keep hummingbirds coming back to your yard.

Although it's quite stunning when in bloom and has the most irresistible fragrance, you should avoid growing Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) in your garden. This species is listed on the invasive plant list of quite a number of states including Alabama, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, and Virginia, among others. As an aggressive growing vine, it can invade natural areas and form dense mats while overgrowing and strangling native species. Better alternatives include coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), or Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), which has sweetly-scented bright yellow blooms.

Also known as the sweet autumn clematis, the Japanese clematis (Clematis terniflora) is an invasive species in various states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maine, New York, and South Carolina, among others. It self-seeds prolifically and has been found to invade native forest areas and urban parks and gardens. Luckily, there are a few native alternatives that you might want to grow instead. These include leatherflower (Clematis viorna), old man's beard (Clematis virginiana), and blue jasmine (Clematis crispa). Just keep in mind that these clematis species are poisonous and can cause contact dermatitis.

Although a wisteria in full bloom is truly a magnificent sight, you should avoid growing this in your yard due to its invasive nature. Both the Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda), and the Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) are on a number of state invasive plant lists, especially in the eastern United States. If the vines escape into native forests, they can kill trees by girdling them. But if you really adore those gorgeous flowers, why not consider American wisteria (Wisteria frutescens) instead? It has similar fragrant clustered flowers and deciduous pinnate leaves.

To date, the flame vine (Pyrostegia venusta) is not on any invasive lists, but according to the University of Florida Extension, it does have a high invasive risk due to its aggressive growth habit that could potentially choke out native trees. Although the clusters of bright orange flowers can attract hummingbirds, it's wise to consider an alternative such as the scarlet runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus), which has similar orange or red flowers. You can easily beautify your fence with this trailing red-flowering vine hummingbirds love.

Although the name might have you wanting to rush out and purchase a chocolate vine (Akebia quinata), you should resist the temptation because this vine is regarded as invasive in many U.S. states, including Michigan, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and South Carolina, as well as others. If it escapes into native forest areas, it can climb and smother small trees and shrubs. A good native alternative would be the passion vine (Passiflora incarnata), which has showy hummingbird-attracting flowers and edible fruits. This is one of those climbing plants that will make you feel like you're living a fairytale.

The kudzu vine (Pueraria montana var. lobata) is definitely one of those invasive vines that you should avoid at all costs. It's included in a large number of state invasive plant lists due to its aggressive growth which can climb over and kill native trees and shrubs. A native alternative would be the Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), which has dark green palmate leaves with five leaflets. These will provide gorgeous fall color as they turn to purple and red. Just make sure you keep children and pets away from the fruits because they're toxic.

While English ivy (Hedera helix) might sound like a good idea because it's so easy to grow and does well in the shade, you should avoid planting this anywhere in your yard. It's extremely aggressive and also listed as invasive in many U.S. states. Once it's in your yard, you'll find it difficult to get rid of, and if it clings to brick structures, it can damage the mortar. An alternative that has a similar growth habit and is not invasive is the Japanese hydrangea vine (Hydrangea hydrangeoides) which also thrives in shade.

As the canary ivy (Hedera canariensis) is only regarded as invasive in California, it can be grown in other states. Nevertheless, it probably should be one to avoid, as it has highly toxic berries and leaves, and can cause severe skin irritation due to its sap. It has the same growth habit as English ivy, which means it can attach itself easily to buildings and cause structural damage. A good non-invasive alternative is Persian ivy (Hedera colchica) which can also be grown in the shade and has clinging stems. 

Although you might be tempted by the brightly colored berries on the mile-a-minute vine (Persicaria perfoliata), this is another invasive species that you should avoid growing in your yard. Quite a few states have this on their invasive plant lists while others class it as a noxious weed. It's another of those rapid-growing vines that can easily strangle anything it scrambles over. An attractive vine you might like to grow instead is the climbing aster (Ampelaster carolinianus), which has really pretty purple daisy-like flowers that attract birds and pollinators.

Another vine with brightly colored berries that you want to avoid is oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) as it's regarded as invasive throughout most of the eastern half of the U.S. Apart from vigorously scrambling over other vegetation, birds are particularly drawn to the berries, and have a tendency to spread the seeds into other areas, near and far. A better alternative is the native rattan vine (Berchemia scandens) which has greenish white flowers and bright blue berries that the birds will love just as much.

With its pretty sprays of pink flowers, you might not realize that the coral vine (Antigonon leptopus) is a vining plant that you should avoid. It's regarded as invasive in Florida and is also considered an aggressive weed in other parts of the world, including Australia and Micronesia. It can reproduce through seed dispersal as well as by tubers, stems, and other plant fragments. As better alternatives, you might want to consider trumpet flower (Bignonia capreolata), Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), or coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) instead.

Although it's often planted as a ground cover, wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) is a vining plant and will happily climb up anything if it's given half the chance. This vine should be avoided as it's regarded as invasive in almost all the eastern states of the U.S. It can easily invade forested areas and cover the ground as well as climb up any trees in its path. An attractive alternative that you might like to grow instead is the trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) which has stunning orange or red trumpet flowers that will bring hummingbirds to your yard.