I was going to suggest coral honeysuckle, but you already thought of that. What is the sun/shade environment?

Misti, it's in full sun.

roselee, it's Cocculus carolinus/ Carolina Moonseed/Snailseed vine.
The red berries are nice in the fall, but this vine is very invasive for me.
I'm sure you've considered Confederate Jasmine already.

Have you considered this passionflower? I love the delicate foliage....very whispy. It will take several years to truly cover a tower. It dies back somewhat up here, so it might be different were you are. But it came to mind.

More mannerly is Blue Glory Vine

Here is a link that might be useful: Multiple images here

Have you considered Carolina Jessamine? Evergreen, tho the bloom period isn't too long. You can sometimes get a second flush in the late summer.

The location of your tower also might be good for scarlet clematis (TX native), if you planted something at its feet. Otherwise, coral honeysuckle sure is nice!

Roselee, if you are just a little warmer than me, the evergreen wisteria (which is not a wisteria at all) should be evergreen. Mine loses it's leaves most winters, but keeps them in the warmer winters. It blooms dark purple flowers all summer long and smells good too. Even though it isn't really evergreen to me, it is by far my favorite vine.

These three pictures were taken in June of last year.

Thanks for all the neat suggestions. I'm checking them out. I thought about native red clematis. Do the stems stay alive in winter? My purple form, leatherflower, dies to the ground most years. I thought about Duchess of Albany, which is a cross between the large flowered clematis and the native, but couldn't find it for sale in town. There must be a reason for that. Does anybody on here grow it?

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) is another worth considering on the short list of native evergreen flowering vines.

Here is a link that might be useful:

This post was edited by bostedo on Mon, Apr 22, 13 at 12:29

The problem is if they grow well most vines are aggressive. This potato vine climbs on a red tip photinia beside the shed.
Perhaps on the tower you can keep it in control.

I forgot to say that it is not as aggressive as the butterfly vine. The butterfly vine sends runners from the arbor almost to the back fence.

I usually hesitate to 'recommend' a vine to someone because they don't always behave the same in different gardens. That said, my favorite 'gentle' vine is Blue Boy' Thunbergia battiscombei. Not actually a vine, but more of a leaner, I can train it to a structure my simply tucking a leaf between slats. It hasn't been aggressive at all in my garden and is evergreen in mild winters, but returns from the roots in severe winters.
Jim
{{gwi:679638}}

Jim That's what I call blue glory vine. Mine dies down to the ground and is only a few inches tall now....but in
San Antonio.....

I wouldn't go with the crossvine, simply because Carrie has one by her house and it's threatening to take something down. I have one "in a pot" in the middle of the yard on a trellis and going into its 3rd summer, it's starting to overtake the trellis. I'm sure you could prune it to keep it under control, but that takes a lot of work. Oh, and mine's rooted into the ground, which I'm sure surprises no one.

Thank you all for the suggestions and advice. I especially appreciate the photos. I'm thinking. I'm thinking ....

Roselee, how about moon flower vine? I don't grow this but maybe someday i will. I receive alerts from a blog post on this particular vine.. check it out. Link below.

Jim: I just cant wait for my Blue Boy to start blooming. Yours is awesome. When i started reading the post the first thing that came to my mind is your Blue Boy.

Here is a link that might be useful: Moonflower vine

That Blue Boy is beautiful. Wish it was hardy up here - not sure that it is.

LynnMarie, I'm curious, how long does it take your evergreen wisteria to come back in the spring after winters where it dies back? Yours is very pretty! Never grown that but you've got me thinking.

Rosalee - I haven't grown scarlet clematis here in Dallas, but when I was in San Antonio it was hit or miss on whether it died back in the winter. Usually it did, so I guess that doesn't meet your needs of evergreen.

Robyn, it doesn't die back to the ground, it just loses its leaves. It gets them all back early in the spring, but doesn't bloom till it gets hot. Right now it is fully leafed out (and has been for over a month) but has no blooms. But it will!

I have three other vines, a jessamine, a jasmine, and a couple of crossvines. I also just got a teeny weeny fragrant cloud honeysuckle from mail order. But the "wisteria" is by far my favorite. The cross vine is the hummingbird's favorite though!

Where did you get your "wisteria" vine, lynnmarie??

I think I got it at Calloway's on Galloway in Mesquite several years ago. I don't know if they will have it again, but I bet any nursery can order it for you. Here is the first place I was able to find it for sale on line, but I don't know anything about this seller. http://sammysplantworld.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=83
If you want to take a cutting, come on by.

Here is a link that might be useful: Evergreen wisteria for sale.

Where do you live? I did a little research on this plant from your information and "that other website" says it is a zone nine plant. It also says propagation is by seed......does yours seed like a regular wisteria??? TIA !!!!

What about Texas wisteria? I have a tiny plant I bought last year, and hope to find a spot for it once it takes off.

Here is a link that might be useful: Texas/American wisteria

Mine does make seeds, but I've never had one pop up anywhere. I thought about trying to grow some from seed to trade, but figured it would be hard (I suck at growing stuff from seed) since I've never gotten a single volunteer. Oh, and when the seed pods pop open, they are a pretty swirly configuration.

Interesting. My tree wisteria makes seed pods, but I have never tried even opening them. Would do so this year, but the freeze froze all the blooms so doubt there will be any pods.

I have grown Duchess of Albany clematis for years and am surprised its not more widely grown. I guess its considered old fashioned. It is the best clematis in my garden being much larger flowered than the native which I also grow. The Duchess blooms from late spring to frost. Mine is planted on a fence thats shaded by the house in the morning but gets the sun in the afternoon.

Well, now you've done it, txplantaholic, I have to have one of those. Where do you live and did you buy yours locally?? Located a nice one online, but prefer to buy locally when possible.

Carrie, I hope she bought it in San Antonio!

And I am hoping she bought in the Dallas area......LOL>

Carrie time to unmask - its Anne from Lewisville and you know I bought my clematis locally. Ive had it so long Ive forgotten where I got it,. However I see it most years in the better local nurseries - Redentas, Northaven gardens,
Nicholson-Hardie on Lovers in Dallas and Rhodes in Garland. It may be in others also. Worth trying to locate.

Oh my goodness, Anne, had no idea it was you, but thank you so much for the info. My fingers will be busy today. I think this beauty will be perfect for the trellis where I lost my passion vine.

Sorry, Kathy !!!!!

I purchased a Duchess of Albany for my daughter several years ago at a local nursery. It has been a wonderful, freely blooming vine for her. At that time I purchased a Gravetye Beauty for myself and it has been an excellent vine in my garden also. Neither of them are evergreen for us, but they leaf out pretty early in the spring. Both of these are clematis texensis.
Molly

How about alamo vine, TX native. I have a friend up here in Bulverde that has the evergreen wisteria mentioned above and it has done very well for her on an arbor and not super aggressive

Here is a pic of our moonflower vine from last year. It is mixed with a mandevilla vine and they did well together. They are just beginning to leaf out this year.

Hope this works... I'm still working on trying to post pics.

Do you still have blue pea vine seeds? Two years it was evergreen. if not, I have some.

This is Lonicera Crimson Cascade, which SO far hasn't been invasive on my chain link fence, but couldn't swear to what it will do long term. It just glows...

Clematis are marvelous! I went on a buying spree last fall and now amost all are in full bloom. I have a Mrs. Chomondeley that I brought from a former home 19 years ago and it is glorious. I buy from Brushwood, Joy Creek - lovely plants.

Thank you all for all the wonderful suggestions and the great photos. Irene, that combo is really pretty. Ogrose, I like that honeysuckle. This thread will made a good resource for anyone searching for information on vines.

Has anyone had success with large flowered clematis in San Antonio? They are beautiful plants!

Kathy, I had completely forgotten about the purple pea vine.

I need to get out and go to some nurseries.. Alameda, thanks for the names of nurseries you buy from.

I am a big fan of Tangerine crossvine. I have heard and seen a photo of a bright shocking pink one with an orange throat. I would kill for that one. this one does loose most of its leaves here in the cold side of 8b. tough as nails, it needs no water and no fertilizer. A couple inches of not very good soil is all it needs. I had it planted in solid caliche with a tiny bit of soil mixed in in brutal sunlight and no water during the drought and surprise surprise, it died. The one in part shade, and slightly better leaf mulch soil lived with the same care.

Mara, if I ever find a shocking pink cross vine I'll buy two of them, and vice versa -- okay? Then we won't have to kill each other to get it ;-)

That cross vine is capital G gorgeous on your bridge walk!

It's a deal!!!! I should put a contract out on this lady (JOKE). She is lucky that the anonymity of the Internet is in play. The woman was in a Florida who showed a picture of it years ago on another Garden forum. I tried to get babies, seeds anything and she just evaporated on me.

This year has been good on the blooms. I have been having blushes after every cool front. The blooms slow down but are sporadic through the summer. It is well behaved for me.

Not shocking pink, but they have a red one ('Dragon Lady') listed at Brushwood nursery (thanks, Alameda, for the referral!). This is just gorgeous! It's currently unavaillable but you can be notified when it's back.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bignonia Dragon Lady

Thank you. It could be. it. She did describe it as dark pink and the photo was definitely not red. Google images shows some as pink. HMMMM.

I luke the Brushwood Garden site.

I googled Dragon Lady and found this old post and picture on the Alabama forum. Some posters suggest it is Dragon Lady.

I have to keep in mind that cameras sometimes distort colors, but the poster shows side by side pictures and the two flowers are quite different. Makes you wonder if the Alabama lady happened to pick up a sport. .

Here is a link that might be useful: Dragon Lady in Alabama?

I remember that in 2011 my regular cross vine bloomed yellow in all the heat and drought - I wonder if the hot pink is a stressed version of the red?

Add this to my "gotta have it" list!

Lin

Lin, that could very well be it.

Even with all of your excellent suggestion I couldn't decide on a vine. I practiced a little 'thinking outside the box' and came to the conclusion that the tower doesn't have to be planted with a vine. It's pretty in it's own right, not just a trellis, and I'd like it to show.

Soooo .... I'm thinking of planting a Red yucca in it. It may look stunning to have the 3 or 4 ft. bloom stalks coming out the sides or it may not. Wadaya' think? Remember I want to keep maintenance as low as possible.

I'm trying to decide whether to leave the 20 gal pot that is partially submerged inside the tower. It would raise the plant up which is nice, but will Red yucca do as well in a pot. Any thoughts?

As they say, "Stay tuned". I hope y'all will offer your honest opinions.