Blank spaces? Vines grow on 'em

Finding the perfect plant for a specific place is not always easy. Gardeners must consider size, shape, growing conditions and more.

But if you are looking for a little flexibility in your planting beds, then search out flexible plants. Literally.

Long before Tarzan swung through the jungle on hanging vines, they helped gardeners solve landscape problems.

One reason vines fill a special landscape niche is that they assume many different growth habits. Some creep across the soil as groundcovers while others cling to fences or trellises; some cover arbors or trail over walls.

For more specific needs, look to annual vines. These grow — some quite rapidly — from seeds or small transplants each season. Some have showy flowers while others make their show from large or colorful leaves.

For convenience, I am grouping vines by their botanical relationships. Keep in mind that some vines that are perennials in warmer climates only grow as annuals here.

For show, it is hard to top the Ipomeas. This genus has at least six species of plants — such as true morning glory or sweet potato vines — that feature large, attractive flowers. None of these have spreading root systems, so they are never invasive, like the field bindweed we erroneously call morning glory.

Ipomoea alba is also known as moonflower vine. This perennial plant grows as an annual in Utah. It grows as long as 20 feet in a season and provides some of the quickest annual shade. The heart-shaped leaves grow up to 8 inches long, providing luxuriant foliage.

Among the most interesting aspects are the 6-inch flowers. They get the name moonflowers because they open after sundown. They also stay open on dark, cloudy days. Use them in gardens that have outdoor lighting for the most interest.

Ipomoea nil is annual morning glory. This summer annual includes the common morning glories and several named varieties, including the popular Scarlet O'Hara. The flowers are showy but not as large as some other species. Morning glory vines get their name because the flowers open each morning and close at night, never to reopen. Some produce thousands of flowers each season.

Ipomoea tricolor is also called morning glory. The showy, funnel-shaped flowers are lavender, pink, red, white, bicolored or striped. Heavenly Blue is a popular type that grows almost 15 feet long in one summer.