Trumpet vine

Trumpet vine: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Vigorous, deciduous, woody climber up to 8–10 m, which clings to walls and trees with short aerial roots.

Leaf

Opposite, odd-pinnate with 7–11 toothed, pointed leaflets, 15–30 cm long.

Stems

Light brown stems with short aerial roots that it uses to cling to a wall or tree; old stems with peeling bark.

Flower

Orange to red trumpet-shaped flowers (6–8 cm) in clusters at the tips of the new shoots, July–September.

Fruit

Long, bean-like capsules (10–15 cm) with winged seeds; rare here.

Difference from the Indian bean tree

The Indian bean tree is a tree with large, heart-shaped leaves and white flowers in upright panicles.

Difference from Chinese trumpet vine

Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora) has larger, more widely open flowers and hardly any aerial roots.

Flowering: July–September · Pruning: February–March

Identify by feature: Aerial roots and sucker pads

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Indian bean tree Catalpa bignonioides: a tree with large, heart-shaped leaves and white flowers in upright panicles. Difference from Indian bean tree
• Chinese trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora): larger, more widely open flowers and hardly any aerial roots.

Why grow it?

• Spectacular orange to red flowers in July–September, when many other climbers have finished.
• Largely climbs by itself with aerial roots: on a rough wall or fence it needs few wires.
• Bumblebees and bees crawl deep into the flowers.
• Hardy and tough, with few diseases.

Trumpet vine: where does it grow best?

• Full sun and warmth: it flowers most freely against a south- or west-facing wall; in shade it hardly flowers.
• Any well-drained soil; on very rich soil it mainly produces leaves.
• It clings with aerial roots to rough walls, fences and trees, but they don’t always hold well: on a smooth wall, fix wires or a trellis, and tie in the heaviest branches.
• Keep it away from gutters, roof tiles, windows and timber cladding: it creeps in everywhere and its aerial roots leave marks on render and paint.
• Don’t plant it right next to a patio or drive: suckers can pop up some distance away between paving or in the lawn.

Light

Full sun

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

10 m tall, 4 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Blue passion flower: Another exotic summer bloomer for a warm wall; together, a Mediterranean-looking wall into September.
• Syrian hibiscus: A shrub that, like trumpet vine, flowers in late summer in a sunny, warm spot.
• English lavender: Flowers in July at the sunny foot of the wall: blue next to the orange trumpets.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Can climb into old, large trees: english oak, scots pine, sycamore, large-leaved lime

Trumpet vine: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant in spring, so that it is well rooted before its first winter.
2. Plant 30–50 cm from the wall, lean the shoots towards the wall and tie them in for the first few years.
3. Buy a plant grown from a cutting of a good garden form, such as the orange-red ‘Madame Galen’ or the yellow ‘Flava’.
4. Choose a spot where you can reach suckers all the way round, for example in a border, and not between paving.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year; after that only in long dry periods.

Feeding

Little: too much nitrogen gives lots of leaves and few flowers.

Tying in

Tie in young and heavy branches: a heavy plant can come away from the wall in a storm or under its own weight.

Suckers

Cut or pull out suckers in the lawn or between paving as close to the root as possible.

Tip: Give it a bare, warm wall and patience: after the first few years it flowers more freely every year. Tie the main branches in as a fan to get an evenly flowering wall.

Trumpet vine: when to prune it?

Pruning months: February–March.

When: At the end of winter (February–March).

How:

• It flowers on new shoots: cut last year’s side shoots back to 2–3 buds on the main framework.
• In the first few years, build up a framework of a few main branches and tie them in, as the aerial roots of young stems don’t always hold well.
• Also remove branches growing towards the gutter, under tiles or around windows.

Caution: Wear gloves and long sleeves: the leaves can irritate sensitive skin.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Suckers

In spring, dig up a sucker with a piece of root and replant it in its new spot.

Cuttings

In summer, take cuttings from semi-ripe shoots; they root in a small pot under plastic.

Trumpet vine: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Hardy; young plants can be cut back by frost in severe winters, but usually reshoot.
• It comes into leaf late, often not until May: no cause for concern.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: Too young, too little sun or warmth, too much fertiliser, or the new shoots were pruned off. Give it a warm spot, wait a few years and only prune in February–March.
• Suckers: Shoots popping up some distance from the plant in the lawn or between paving. Cut or pull them out as deep as possible; in the lawn, regular mowing helps.
• Aphids: Aphids on the shoot tips and flower buds in summer. Spray with water; ladybirds and hoverflies do the rest.

Through the year

• February: Pruning: side shoots back to 2–3 buds.
• March: Last pruning; check wires and ties.
• April: Planting; dig up and replant suckers.
• May: It comes into leaf late: be patient.
• June: Tie in new shoots; cut off suckers.
• July: Flowering begins at the tips of the new shoots.
• August: Full flower; water in prolonged drought.
• September: Last flowers.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Exotic summer bloomer for a warm, sunny wall or pergola.

For wildlife

Bumblebees and bees crawl deep into the flowers.

Caution: Produces suckers that pop up some distance away. The leaves can irritate sensitive skin.

Did you know?

• In the south-eastern United States, where it comes from, it is pollinated mainly by hummingbirds.
• ‘Radicans’ means ‘rooting’: a reference to the aerial roots it climbs with.
• The well-known garden form ‘Madame Galen’ is a hybrid between the American and the Chinese trumpet vine.