Commonly there is a long delay in enlargement of leaves until the stem or cylindrical axis becomes wrapped around a support. Vines and lianas produce relatively narrow stems versus leaf area, less than a shrub or tree with the same leaf area. Woody stems are very flexible to permit bending, twisting, and coiling. They are fairly strong if pulling on two ends but have very little strength when compressed. Stem flexibility is normally credited to the design of the woody stem, that often has patches of soft tissue alternating with the harder tissues, and soft tissue gets crushed when twisted but harder tissue remains functioning.
Vines have some of the widest water-conducting tubes in plants.
It is convenient to recognize two categories of adaptations for climbing plants, active mechanisms, involving growth and tropisms of the plant to become attached and passive mechanisms, whereby they have existing structures that come in contact with the supporting structure. Each mechanism provides biomechanical and ecological advantages and disadvantages, depending on the situation in which the vine or liana is growing. Tendrils are often spring-like and cinch up a plant to the support by decreasing the overall length of the tendril. This coiling feature utilizes high friction for grasping structures. For vines, tendrils are a cheap way to climb, but a tendrilar system does not hold great weight.