Tendrils are specialized climbing organs that play a key role in the survival and environmental adaptation of plants. Through structural supporting, light capturing, and resources competition, tendrils significantly improve the ecological adaptability of plants. This article provides a comprehensive review of the biological characteristics and molecular mechanisms of tendrils in horticultural plants. This review systematically synthesizes the biological characteristics and molecular mechanisms of development in plant tendrils. Tendrils are derived from inflorescences, leaves, stems and other organs. The occurrence of tendrils is regulated by gene families such as TCP, HD-ZIP, and MADS-box, and influenced by auxin, gibberellin, cytokinin, and jasmonic acid and other plant hormones. Tendrils exhibit convergent evolution in function, morphology, and molecular mechanisms, and display characteristics of independent evolution, reflecting the adaptive strategies of plants to their living environment. Future studies will focus on evolutionary mechanisms across species and interaction between environmental signals and plant hormones for plant tendrils.