Found in low woods, swamps, and pond margins, this native of Southeastern United States from New York to Florida and west to Louisiana, wood vamp is a woody semi-evergreen vine with smooth shiny dark green leaves and creamy white flowers in late spring and early summer. The small flowers are borne in domed clusters 1- 2 feet from the climbing surface and are sweetly fragrant. The 30 foot vine climbs by rootlets and is useful as a vertical accent on tall tree trunks, trellises, and walls. It can also be used as a groundcover but only flowers when climbing. Although it thrives in full sun to partial shade, wood vamp will grow and flower well in full shade. It tolerates drought and occasional flooding but will drown in prolonged wetness. Wood vamp is related to hydrangeas and sometimes called climbing hydrangea but is a distinctly diffferent genus from Hydrangea anomala subspecies petiolaris, also called climbing hydrangea.
Type: Woody semi-evergreen vine
Bloom: Domed clusters of creamy white fragrant flowers are borne in late spring to early summer 1-2 feet from the climbing surface.
Foliage: Dark green, glossy, elliptical semi-evergreen leaves turn buttery yellow in fall
Size: 10-30’ H
Light: Full sun to full shade
Soil: Humus-rich, consistently moist, acidic
Hardiness: Zones 6-9
Care: Low maintenance
Pests and Diseases: None of significance
Propagation: Cuttings, layering, seeds
Karen Meyers