Most perennial vines are woody or semiwoody climbing or trailing plants.
Like shrubs, trees, and ground covers, vines can be important to any garden landscape. Each species and variety of vine possesses distinctive characteristics which make it well adapted to certain locations in the landscape plan. Some vines such as wisteria and grapes are valued for the shade they provide when trained over an arbor as well as the beautiful flowers or tasty fruit. Others, such as English ivy and Boston ivy, do well trained against the wall of a building or used to frame a doorway. Still others, like the Sweet Autumn Clematis, dramatically change a plain fence.