Vascular development requires correct interactions among endothelial cells, pericytes and surrounding cells. These interactions involve many cell adhesion interactions, including cell–matrix interactions both with basement membranes and with surrounding extracellular matrices. Investigations of the contributions of these various interactions in vascular development and angiogenesis have been rather uneven and incomplete over the past 10–15 years. There has been considerable concentration on a few receptors, matrix proteins and proteolytic fragments with the goal of finding means to control angiogenesis. Many other potential contributors have received much less attention. Even for those molecules that have been subject to intensive investigation, our knowledge is incomplete. This review will survey the spectrum of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and cell–matrix adhesion receptors (particularly integrins) that are likely to contribute to angiogenesis and discuss what is known and not known about the roles of each of them.