Trumpet vines

Trumpet Vines

Trumpet vine, Campis radicans, grows happily through much of the United States and that’s good, because there are few plants more attractive to hummingbirds. If you need a sturdy, easy to grow vine for sun or partial shade, or want to attract hummingbirds to your yard, plant a trumpet vine. While there are some gardeners who consider the trumpet vine invasive, it has many good features if carefully managed.

You may know the trumpet vine, by one of its other common names, Trumpet Creeper, Hummingbird vine or Cross Vine. It is native to the Southeastern United States but has naturalized in many other areas. There are also Asian species that have been hybridized with our native species to produce different colors and forms.

Care of trumpet vines

You will want to plant trumpet vine on a sturdy trellis or fence some distance from the house or flowerbeds. The aerial roots that the vine produces creep under shingles and boards and lift them; the heavy vines may collapse structures that are not sturdy. The regular roots of the trumpet vine will crack foundations, come up through asphalt and invade sewer lines. Plant it on a pole or dead tree in an area that can be mown around. Without support trumpet vine will form a large shrub. If it’s situated in an area that can be mown around this is often the best solution. Keep suckers mown or trimmed down and prune and thin aggressively to keep it in control.

Trumpet vine will grow in sun or partial shade. It will even grow in fairly deep shade, although it will seldom bloom there. It prefers loose, rich soil but manages to grow fairly well in most other soils too.

Gardeners usually buy trumpet vines as plants. The vines send out underground runners that develop into new plants that can be detached and transplanted. Trumpet vine resents transplanting however, and may sulk the first year. Potted plants from a nursery transplant somewhat better. Once it gets established though, watch out! Trumpet vine can grow 30 foot or more in one season. Trumpet vines can also be started from cuttings, which root fairly easily.  The vines do produce seeds and these can be started for new plants also.

The trumpet vine has compound leaves, consisting of 7-11 leaflets per stem. They are slow to leaf out in the spring so don’t forget where they are planted. Be careful handling the plant as some people have an allergic reaction to the foliage. Trumpet vine stems become thick and woody over time. These woody vines usually survive winter and then put out new growth. Where trumpet vines are grown as a bush they will die back to the ground in some areas, but will come back quickly from the roots in the spring.

Trumpet vine flowers consist of 5 petals fused into a long, tubular shape that flares out at the end. Most trumpet vines have orange flowers; the color can vary somewhat depending on the weather and the age of the flower. In full sun, with rich soil and even moisture the trumpet vine can be in bloom from early summer through fall. In dry or very hot conditions the trumpet vine may stop blooming for a while.

Hummingbirds love trumpet vines and a large plant may have several hummers on it at the same time. The flowers also attract bees and ants. Trumpet vine flowers eventually turn into bean-like seedpods full of flat, paper like seeds, if the hummers have done their work.

Keep trumpet vines well-watered as they get established. They do not need fertilizer and seldom get diseases or insect pests. If drought conditions develop in your area a deep watering may keep them in bloom longer.

Once it gets established the trumpet vine thrives on pruning. Thin and prune aggressively to control and shape the plant. Wait until spring growth has started, which may be quite late, before pruning out winter damage, as it is difficult to determine dead wood on these vines.

Some varieties

‘Mme Galen’ is an old selection that is very deep orange. ‘Apricot’ is a yellow-orange. “Indian Summer’ is a new variety that has a deep orange throat and lighter orange flare. ‘Summer Snowfall’ has red-orange flowers but the leaves are variegated with white.