Skip to main content

Trumpet Vine

The Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) is also known as Trumpet Creeper, Hellvine, Devils Shoestring, or Hummingbird Vine.  It is also sometimes called Cow Itch Vine because the leaves can cause a rash in some animal like cows. Trumpet Vine is native to the eastern United States.
Trumpet Vine is a very vigorous woody vine grown for its colorful trumpet-shaped flowers.
Trumpet Vines are available with Red Flowers,

 
Orange Flowers,
 

and Yellow Flowers.
 

These flowers attract pollinators like Hummingbirds and Bumblebees. Trumpet Vine produces large seed pods. As these mature, they dry and split releasing thin, brown, papery seeds.

It is often used to cover arbors, walls, telephone poles, and fences.


Left on its own it will cover telephone poles or trees.


An established Trumpet Vine can easily grow 10’-20’ each season. It climbs like English Ivy using aerial rootlets which can take hold of most surfaces like stucco, wood, and brick walls. These rootlets can sometimes damage the structures they climb like the stucco surfaces of homes or wooden arbors.
 
The leaves of the Trumpet Vine are actually a group of leaflets from 1” to 3” long with serrated margins (photo).


Trumpet Vine should be pruned back annually to control its size and surface coverage due to its extreme vigor. It produces a thick growth good for hedges or summer visual barriers (photo).


It will also occasionally send up suckers some distance from the original planting. Suckers should be dug up unless you desire greater coverage. Trumpet Vine does well on low to regular water once established. It is hardy to USDA Zone 1.

To view a slide show of Trumpet Vine Click on the following link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Alxs7Zh4To&feature=plcp

Contact the nursery for more information and pricing.

Photos & Narrative By:
Stephen Sain
Staff Plant Physiologist

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Question: How close to my house can I plant a Cottonwood tree?

Cottonwoods grow to be immense trees attaining dimensions of up to 40 - 50 feet tall and wide with a root system to match. Cottonwoods have a surface root system that can heave sidewalks, crack walls and home foundations if planted too close. Cottonwoods should be planted a minimal distance from structures of at least 25 feet if not further. Trees That Please Nursery carries two varieties of cotton-less, Cottonwood Trees. Please contact us or stop by the store for more information.
Post a Comment
Read more

Afghan Pine

The Afghan Pine ( Pinus eldarica ) is also known as Desert Pine, Eldarica Pine or Mondell Pine. Afghan Pine is native to low rainfall areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and southern Russia . In fact, when planted in areas of high rainfall (> 20” per year), it becomes susceptible to a number of diseases and rapidly declines. This problem has occurred in East Texas.   The Afghan Pine thrives in heat, wind, and tolerates drought. Afghan Pine must be planted in soils with good drainage like sand. It is not suitable for poorly drained heavy clasy soils. Afghan Pines are generally pyramidal or Christmas tree shaped in form when young   becoming more oval or irregular with age. The leaves of the Afghan Pine are evergreen needles usually found in groups of 2 per fascicle or sheath. Needles are shed after several years and make excellent mulch as they fall around the trees base.   It has attractive trunk bark that becomes dark and furrowed with...
4 comments
Read more

All About the Shantung Maple!

             The Shantung Maple ( Acer truncatum ) is also known as the Purple Blow Maple due to the color of its newly emerging leaves which are red-purple (see photo below). These young expanding red-purple leaves change to green as they mature. Leaves are small, about the size of Japanese Red Maple leaves, perhaps 3’-4’ wide at maturity.    The Shantung Maple grows 1′-2′ annually reaching 25″ tall and wide.    This is our tree for all planting situations. This Maple does well in heavy clay, sandy soils, full sun, or part shade. It can be planted in a lawn or next to a hot asphalt street (see photo below). It seemingly is a happy tree enjoying life wherever it is placed.    One place we would not recommend planting this tree is in a rockscape which is just too hot and inhospitable to support this beautiful tree.               A smaller tree, the Shantung Ma...
Post a Comment
Read more