Garden Scheme
Vine spacing is a length along a fence, trellis, or wire, not an area in a bed. The question it answers is how many plants it takes to cover a given run of support, and the answer follows from how far each plant spreads laterally once it reaches the top.
Plant library · Spacing charts
Vine and climber spacing chart
Center-to-center spacing for 25 vines and climbers, with mature size, hardiness zones, and sun needs — spacing measured along the support the plant will cover.
Spacing across this chart runs from 2 ft (60 cm) to 8 ft (2.4 m). Sort by any column heading.
| Plant | Spacing | Mature size | USDA zones | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|
AllamandaAllamanda cathartica
|
4 ft1.2 m | 12 ft tall, 4 ft wide | 10–11 | Full Sun |
Black-Eyed Susan VineThunbergia alata
|
2 ft60 cm | 8 ft tall, 3 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
Boston IvyParthenocissus tricuspidata
|
5 ft1.5 m | 40 ft tall, 10 ft wide | 4–8 | Full Sun |
BougainvilleaBougainvillea spp.
|
6 ft1.8 m | 30 ft tall, 10 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
Cantaloupe VineCucumis melo
|
3 ft90 cm | 1.5 ft tall, 6 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
Carolina JessamineGelsemium sempervirens
|
5 ft1.5 m | 20 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 7–10 | Full Sun |
Chocolate VineAkebia quinata
|
6 ft1.8 m | 30 ft tall, 10 ft wide | 4–9 | Partial Sun |
ClematisClematis spp.
|
4 ft1.2 m | 10 ft tall, 4 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
Climbing HydrangeaHydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris
|
6 ft1.8 m | 40 ft tall, 6 ft wide | 4–8 | Partial Shade |
Climbing RoseRosa spp.
|
5 ft1.5 m | 10 ft tall, 5 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
Common JasmineJasminum officinale
|
5 ft1.5 m | 15 ft tall, 5 ft wide | 7–10 | Full Sun |
Creeping FigFicus pumila
|
3 ft90 cm | 15 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 8–11 | Partial Shade |
CrossvineBignonia capreolata
|
5 ft1.5 m | 30 ft tall, 5 ft wide | 6–9 | Full Sun |
Dutchman's PipeAristolochia macrophylla
|
8 ft2.4 m | 25 ft tall, 10 ft wide | 4–8 | Partial Sun |
HoneysuckleLonicera spp.
|
6 ft1.8 m | 15 ft tall, 6 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
HopsHumulus lupulus
|
4 ft1.2 m | 20 ft tall, 3 ft wide | 3–8 | Full Sun |
MandevillaMandevilla spp.
|
3 ft90 cm | 10 ft tall, 3 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
Passion FlowerPassiflora incarnata
|
4 ft1.2 m | 25 ft tall, 6 ft wide | 5–9 | Full Sun |
Potato VineSolanum laxum
|
4 ft1.2 m | 25 ft tall, 4 ft wide | 8–11 | Full Sun |
Silver Lace VineFallopia baldschuanica
|
8 ft2.4 m | 25 ft tall, 10 ft wide | 4–8 | Full Sun |
Snail VineCochliasanthus caracalla
|
4 ft1.2 m | 20 ft tall, 6 ft wide | 9–11 | Full Sun |
Star JasmineTrachelospermum jasminoides
|
4 ft1.2 m | 15 ft tall, 5 ft wide | 8–10 | Full Sun |
Trumpet VineCampsis radicans
|
8 ft2.4 m | 35 ft tall, 10 ft wide | 4–9 | Full Sun |
Virginia CreeperParthenocissus quinquefolia
|
5 ft1.5 m | 40 ft tall, 10 ft wide | 3–9 | Full Sun |
WisteriaWisteria spp.
|
8 ft2.4 m | 25 ft tall, 10 ft wide | — | Full Sun |
Spacing is center to center — measure between planting holes, not between the edges of the plants. Mature sizes are planning estimates and shift with cultivar and local conditions. Hardiness is shown only for non-annual, species-level entries.
How to use this chart
Vigour varies more within this category than in any other. A clematis and a wisteria are both vines, and one of them will cover 40 ft of pergola and lift the roof off it. Match the plant's mature size to what the structure can actually carry before worrying about the spacing between plants.
Self-clinging climbers — Boston ivy, English ivy, climbing hydrangea — attach directly to masonry with rootlets or adhesive pads and are best kept off wood siding, painted surfaces, and anything with a mortar joint you care about, whatever the spacing.