Climbing vines help screen private spaces while adding color and texture to your Kauai landscape. At No Ka Oi, we often suggest flowering vines as a way to appeal to the senses: they’re eye-catching, and many infuse sweet fragrance into surrounding spaces.
Flowering vines that climb up trellises, garden walls, pergolas and other structures act as living wallpaper. Vines are also functional, doubling as natural walls that give residents and visitors some privacy.
Here are 5 of the best flowering vines on Kauai we love that will add height, character, color and fragrance to your Kauai commercial property.
Stephanotis
Its name means “fit for a crown,” and this evergreen, woody-stemmed vine’s sweet little white flowers are a popular wedding bouquet flower.
In the commercial landscape, Stephanotis grows up to 10 feet tall, twining around structures like trellis and pergola. This makes the tropical vine a good choice for creating a flowering wall that can provide privacy in residential spaces, block unappealing views on commercial grounds, or create “rooms” within a commercial landscape—dividing outdoor gathering spaces on resort properties.
Stephanotis is also known as Madagascar jasmine and bridal veil, and it prefers constant temperatures, which is why it grows well on Kauai. As with any flowering vine, plant health care is critical to preserve its beauty and to promote flowering.
We can always tell when a property manager has skimped on fertilization because those flowering vines and shrubs tend to produce fewer blooms, or bloom time is shorter than expected.
Green And Red Jade
Red and green jade are lianas—woody-stemmed vines—and their claw-shaped flowers add tropical appeal to Kauai landscapes. If left alone, a red or green jade vine can grow up to 75 feet and stalks of flowers that come off the vine can grow more than 5 feet long. They can be pruned to a desired profile. The curved flowers are 3 to 4 inches long, creating a vivid, striking impression.
Red and green jade love warm Kauai temperatures, and they perform well in full sun to partial shade. You can showcase their cascading beauty by allowing them to grow up a tall support.
Pakalana
This favorite lei flower is an ideal flowering vine for balcony areas in residential settings, on resort properties and on commercial sites that want to infuse some tropical flair into the landscape. Pakalana is in the same family as Stephanotis and it is also related to milkweed.
You’ll notice that after flowers bloom, pods form that split open and reveal fluffy milkweed-like seeds. We love pakalana for its sweet fragrance, which grows stronger in evenings, and its ability to grow easily on fences and trellises.
Pakalana has broad, slightly ruffled leaves and small yellow-green flowers that form in bunches. The hardy vine prefers well-drained soil and lots of sunlight.
Hua Pala
The showy orange blooms of hua pala vine are tubular flowers with long lobes that curl back and reveal its stamens. The interesting, lively vine thrives well on Kauai and is hardy in the landscape.
If you’re superstitious, you’ll avoid planting hua pala near the front door—this location supposedly brings bad luck with one’s sweethearts. We’re not so sure about this, but we do know that the attractive vine is a dynamic addition to a commercial landscape and it thrives in full to partial sun.
Hoya
Sometimes called waxplant or wax vine, the hoya is an evergreen perennial that can “creep” across land, populate rocky areas, and climb trees or other supports.
Their leaves vary in size, texture and color depending on the type of hoya. Its flowers are shaped like stars and form in clusters, creating a pom-pom of blooms the size of a tennis ball.
Hoya are classified in the milkweed family, and there are more than 100 known species of hoya with varying leaves and flowers. Their blooms pop from spurs, which must be left on the plant even after flowers expire in order to encourage the next round of blooms.
Hoya are relatively low-maintenance, thriving on Kauai in well-drained soil and in full to partial sun.
Raise Your Kauai Commercial Property’s Appeal With Flowering Vines
Flowering vines on Kauai naturally draw the eye up, and the flowering vines we suggested here enhance your commercial property’s beauty while playing the important role of screening.
As with any plant on Kauai, regular maintenance and plant health care is required to reach vines’ full potential.
Let’s talk more about ways to plant more personality on your Kauai grounds. Call us any time at 808.335.5887, or fill out this simple contact form and we’ll get in touch with you.
Images: Stephanotis, Pakalana, Hoya
