12 Edible Vines For Small Gardens

Edible vine plants are perfect for small gardens because they can be grown vertically.

There are many different fruit and vegetable vines that don’t take up too much space, especially when they’re trained to grow up a trellis, fence or arbor.

Here are 12 climbing edible vines to grow in your garden so you can have your own kitchen garden at home.

Some of these vines are annuals, while others are perennials, so they’ll come back year after year.

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12 EDIBLE VINES FOR SMALL GARDENS

FRUIT VINES

1. Grapes

Grapes are easy to grow, perennial fruit vines that look great growing on a pergola or arbor with the bunches of grapes hanging down.

They grow best in full sun and need plenty of space to spread out.

Newly planted grape vines can take up to three years to produce fruit but it’s worth the wait to have your own juicy, home-grown grapes.

Grape vines need to be pruned regularly to control their growth and produce the best quality fruit.

2. Passionfruit

Passionfruit is another perennial vine that produces small green fruits with orange pulp and crunchy edible seeds.

They grow best in warm, subtropical climates in a position with full sun.

Passionfruit vines are fast growing but they can take between 12 to 18 months to produce fruit.

Plant bare-root passionfruit canes in the spring.

3. Raspberry

Growing raspberries on a trellis makes it easy to harvest the berries and reduces pests and diseases.

There are two different types of raspberries – summer fruiting and fall fruiting varieties. [1]

If you’re looking for something a bit different for your garden, you can plant yellow or black raspberry plants.

4. Blackberry

Blackberry vines can be trained to grow along a fence, wire or a trellis.

They grow on thorny vines and in some areas they’re classified as a weed because they can form prickly thickets that take over a whole area.

Regular pruning will keep the vines in check and assist with fruit production.

Blackberry vines grow best in full sun and they will produce berries in their second year of growth.

5. Kiwi

Kiwis are small fruits with fuzzy brown skin and sweet green flesh.

They’re a perennial vine and grow best in warm climates with short winters.

Kiwi vines can reach up to 20 feet (6 m) long, so they need plenty of space to spread out.

They’re ideal for growing on a trellis or pergola.

6. Melons

There are many different types of melons that you can grow on a trellis to save space.

Cantaloupes (rockmelons), honeydew melons and watermelons are great choices but you’ll need to make a hammock out of an old piece of clothing or pantyhose to support the weight of the melon.

VEGETABLE VINES

7. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are easy vining vegetables for beginner gardeners to grow and they can be trained to grow up a trellis or wooden stake.

Large tomato varieties like beefsteak will need strong support because the plants will become heavy when they’re full of fruit.

8. Cucumbers

Cucumber is another type of vining vegetable that can be grown vertically.

Training cucumber plants to grow up a trellis makes them easier to harvest and they’re less likely to be affected by pests and diseases.

It’s best to harvest cucumbers regularly to avoid the plant becoming too heavy.

9. Pumpkin

Many people with small gardens avoid growing pumpkins because the vines spread out and can easily take over the garden.

You can train pumpkins to grow vertically on a trellis and there are many small pumpkin varieties to choose from.

Read more about growing pumpkins on a trellis in this article:

How To Grow Pumpkins Vertically

10. Bitter melon

Bitter melons are related to squash, watermelon and cucumbers.

They grow best in full sun and prefer a tropical or subtropical climate.

Each vine will produce about 10 to 12 fruits.

Bitter melons are very bitter so they won’t suit everyone’s taste.

11. Chayote

Chayote, also known as mirliton squash or choko, is a small pear shaped edible vining vegetable.

They grow best in tropical or subtropical climates and each vine can produce 50 to 100 fruits. [1]

It’s best to harvest chayotes when they’re young because the skin becomes tough as the fruits grow larger.

They can be boiled or steamed and taste similar to marrow.

12. Hyacinth beans

The last edible vining vegetable on this list is purple hyacinth beans.

They look great growing vertically and grow best in full sun on a sturdy trellis.

So there are 12 edible climbing vines to plant in your garden.

Growing these plants vertically means that you can save lots of space in your garden.

RELATED ARTICLES

• How To Create A Vertical Plant Wall
• How To Grow Strawberries Vertically
• 12 Berry Vines For Backyard Gardens
• How to Remove Blackberry Bushes
• How To Start A Small Backyard Farm

Have you tried growing any of these vining plants? Let me know in the comments below.

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