trumpet vine (campsis radicans)

trumpet vine is a native flowering vine for situations where you want something to really grow. once established, its woody stems can climb fences, arbors, trellises, dead trees, and sturdy structures, eventually producing a dense wall of foliage covered in spectacular orange-red trumpet-shaped flowers through summer.

those flowers are built for hummingbirds. their long tubular form and abundant nectar make trumpet vine an important hummingbird-pollinated native, and flowering plants can become reliable feeding stops through the summer. the blooms are also visited by bees and other insects, adding another layer of life to an already exuberant plant.

this is not a delicate garden vine. trumpet vine climbs using aerial rootlets, can grow to substantial size, and spreads through both seed and underground suckers. plant it where that vigor is useful: along a strong fence, over a substantial arbor, on a freestanding trellis, or in a naturalized edge where it has room to roam. it can be pruned hard and responds enthusiastically. we would not plant it against delicate siding, small structures, or in a tightly controlled perennial bed and expect it to behave politely.

trumpet vine performs best with plenty of sun and flowers most heavily there, although it can tolerate some shade. established plants are remarkably tough and adaptable, handling heat, drought, and a range of soils. that combination makes it particularly useful for difficult sunny sites where a fast-growing native vine is wanted.

our plants are young, seed-grown seedlings sold in bundles of ten. rather than buying one large container vine, a bundle gives you enough material to plant a long fence, experiment with several locations, or establish a whole flowering screen. give them something sturdy to climb — and give them room.

like trumpet vine? explore its tree-sized cousin, northern catalpa (catalpa speciosa), another spectacular member of the bignonia family.