You’ve probably seen vines climbing on a variety of structures, like fences, trellises, walls, poles, and trees, but how do they remain upright? There are a few different strategies vines use to attach themselves to surfaces. Identifying which strategy your vines use is the first step in properly training them!

Tendril vines, like grapes, passionflower, and sweet peas, use tendrils to latch onto supports. Tendrils are skinny, leafless, flexible stems that wave in the air until they find a support, then coil around it. Tendrils require some horizontal structure to hold onto, so they can’t climb straight up a pole.

Similar to tendril vines, twining vines climb up structures by wrapping around them. Instead of tendrils, they use either their leaves or stems. Clematis twines with the petioles of its leaves, where young leaves wrap around slim wires, twigs, or string. Because the petioles (or stalk of the leaf) are not very long, the support structure needs to be thin enough to wrap around. Contrary to twining leaves, twining stems can handle larger structures, like poles and thick branches. Twining stem vines (wisteria and honeysuckle) wrap their entire stem around any support they come in contact with. The coolest part? Whether it wraps clockwise or counterclockwise is genetically predetermined for each species.

Ever wonder how plants manage to climb up flat walls? It’s likely because they are using adhesive pads or aerial roots. Some vines, like Boston ivy and Virginia creeper, have touch-sensitive suction cups that allow them to stick to surfaces. The adhesive pads work on nearly every surface, including surfaces that are completely flat! Other climbers, like English ivy and climbing hydrangea,  use clusters of aerial roots (aboveground roots) that emerge from the stem to latch onto surfaces. These small and stout roots really do hold on for dear life, and will likely damage structures when you try to rip them off.

Scampering vines, like climbing roses, aren’t true vines. They don’t have tendrils, suckers, or twine to instinctively climb up surfaces. Instead, they grow with extra-long canes (or branches) that can easily be secured to structures. Their thorns can be used to prop themselves up (ouch!), but it isn’t always effective.