Choosing Cold Hardy Vines for Zone 5
Zone 5 is on the cool side of the hardiness charts. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, winter temperatures in plant hardiness zone 5 regions dip to -20 degrees Fahrenheit (-29 C.). That means that zone 5 vine varieties must be quite cold hardy to survive. Choosing vines for zone 5 is a process of sifting through the zone 5 vines available and finding plants that please you. When you are choosing vines for zone 5, take stock of the space you have to offer. Is the area you intend a vine to inhabit in the shade? Is it sunny? What’s the soil like? How is the drainage? All of these factors are important considerations. Other things to think about include how much space the vine will have to climb and spread horizontally. Consider, too, whether you want to start growing vines in zone 5 with flowers or with fruits or if you are just interested in foliage.
Popular Zone 5 Vine Varieties
For big, bold, fiery blossoms on a 30-foot (9 m.) vine, consider trumpet vine (Campsis selections). The vine grows fast and produces orange, red, and/or yellow flowers that prove very attractive to hummingbirds. It grows happily in zones 5 through 9. Another bright-flower vine is clematis (Clematis spp.). Pick a cultivar that offers the flower hue you like best. Clematis vine heights vary from only 4 feet (1 m.) up to 25 feet (7.5 m.). It’s easy to start growing vines in zone 5 if you select cold hardy clematis. The cold-hardy variety of the kiwi vine is called arctic kiwi (Actinidia kolomikta). It survives in zone 5, and even down to zone 3. The large, beautiful leaves are variegated in pinks and whites. These vines grow over 10 feet (3 m.) tall and do best grown on a trellis or fence. They produce small, tasty fruit but only if you have a male and female vine in close proximity. Perhaps the most famous “fruit of the vine” is grapes (Vitis spp.) Easy to grow, grapevines do just fine in average, well-draining soil as long as they have full sun. They are hardy to zone 4 and they need sturdy structures to climb.
