Landscaping help!!! What kind of vine should I plant on a steep, rocky bank???

I have a steep, rocky bank behind my house... it is about 12ish feet high... nothing will grow on it b/c it is so rocky... so i'm planning to cover the bank with chicken wire and then plant a climbing vine at the bottom and top of the bank... what type of vine(s) should i plant? i would like something that grows fast... and something that flowers... thanks!!

Landscaping help!!! What kind of vine should I plant on a steep, rocky bank???
Have you considered any of the honeysuckles or trumpet vines or maybe wisteria? If you live in zone 6 these would probably all work and they are all perennials and fairly aggressive growers though it might take 2-3 years for them to bloom much. All three are readily available in most nurseries seed/plant catalogs and on-line.


Also the honeysuckle and the trumpet have the added advantage in that they are both Hummingbird magnets if you like birds.





You might also try to pack some of the areas between the rocks with a little dirt so that what ever vine you do use will have little areas to possibly put some roots into after it gets established at the bottom
Reply:try cudzu it grows like wildfire in n.c. and people say its edible it flowers but it does tend to take over in warmer areas
Reply:Have you heard of Ajuga? We also have a steep bank up the one side of the driveway. Planted or should I say placed ajuga (hardly inserted it in the soil) on the bank on a really rainy day and it took hold. Didn't look great for a few weeks, but then took off. I won't say it's a vine but it is a green to purple (deep) leaf, has runners (for spreading) and flowers a lavendar flower in spring (mid May). Beautiful plant, I've shared it with many friends who also agree.





Be careful where you plant it though, we live in the woods where spreading isn't a problem. I must say some of it spread into the lawn, but we mow right over it. Depends how fussy you are about your lawn.
Reply:Try Passion Vine. It makes incredible purple flowers and smells good. It also makes an edible fruit. It grows really fast and in my area (Zone 8) it stays green all year. Mine is gorgeous. You can train it into shapes that are amazing. My friends and family are completely mouth dropped open, amazed at my plants. This plant is truly spectacular. There are several different varieties. Some have red flowers that are magnificant. Google this so that you can see the flowers.





The down side is that Passion Vine attracts butterflies. This sounds like really good news.....at first. But it's lots and LOTS of orange butterflies that will breed on your plants. You're very happy...at first. But those greedy butterflies do not share. Their caterpillars eat every single leaf and flower and they will kill your beautiful plant within three weeks if you don't do something.





It's quite embarrassing to go to Home Depot and ask what kind of spray you should buy when you are trying to kill butterflies. You will look like a mean jerk. Been there....done that. It is embarrassing. But you absolutely have to spray it lightly once a month or else the butterflies will take the plant all the way down to the dirt and quickly kill the plant.





The butterflies will recover and they can move on and breed on lots of other plants besides this one tiny section of your off limit Passion Vine.
Reply:Creeping fig or Hottentot fig, it is an iceplant that will cover an area in a year and hold the ground from errosion. Plant every 12 inches and you will have a mat in a year.
Reply:Please don't grow kudzu. It's an invasive plant that will take over if given the opportunity. Try asian jasmine. It grows fairly fast, is evergreen and low maintenance.
Reply:morning glories they are a beautiful vine to grow and you will never be disappointed.


it grows fast and is easy to care for


start indoors 3 weeks before last frost for flowers


try covering the the bank with rich soil and start planting


good luck !!!!