dutchman's pipevine

can this be grown from a large container against a fence, or should it be planted in the ground?

You could probably do either. I am in zone 8b and have mine in the ground. It did not even die back. A few of the leaves took a hit, but otherwise it sustained no damage.

i grew mine in a big container and it came back with a little after care for mine. so yes it can be done. i put pine straw on mine when it got cold and protected it from too much water during its off season.

I just got one at the Huntington Plant sale this weekend and it is only 3 inches tall. I was going to plop it in the ground but it looks so fragile! Am I being overprotective?

Mine is definately not fragile. The leaves get thicker and sturdier as the vine gets a little older.

I will plant this in the ground and put up a trellis. What kind of spread should I expect.

Here is mine from last October. I is wound around an old tree stump. Pruned a few times for the cuttings. Not too invasive. This year will probably be twice that since it did not die back.