Side by side
Trumpet vine or Indian bean tree? How to tell them apart
Campsis radicans · Catalpa bignonioides
How to tell them apart – trumpet vine: climber with aerial roots, pinnate leaves and clusters of large, orange-red trumpet flowers in late summer; Indian bean tree: a tree with large, heart-shaped leaves and white flowers in upright panicles.
How do you recognise them?
- Trumpet vine
- Climber with aerial roots, pinnate leaves and clusters of large, orange-red trumpet flowers in late summer.
- Indian bean tree
- Very large heart-shaped leaves, often in threes; long ‘beans’ that hang on through winter.
- Compared with trumpet vine: a tree with large, heart-shaped leaves and white flowers in upright panicles.
| Trumpet vine | Indian bean tree | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, odd-pinnate with 7–11 toothed, pointed leaflets, 15–30 cm long. | Opposite or in whorls of 3, broadly heart-shaped and untoothed, 15–30 cm. Smells unpleasant when crushed. Comes into leaf late (June). |
| Flowering | Orange to red trumpet-shaped flowers (6–8 cm) in clusters at the tips of the new shoots, July–September (July–September). | Upright panicles of white trumpet flowers with yellow and purple spots (July) (July). |
| Fruit | Long, bean-like capsules (10–15 cm) with winged seeds; rare here. | Thin, bean-like pods 20–40 cm that hang on all winter. |
| Bark | Light brown stems with short aerial roots that it uses to cling to a wall or tree; old stems with peeling bark. | Grey-brown, in thin scales. |
| Shape and height | Climber, climbs to 8–10 m | Broadleaf tree, 10–15 m |
| Site | Full sun, any garden soil, normal | Full sun, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, planted | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | February–March | February–March |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Trumpet vine
- Plant profile: Indian bean tree
- Trumpet vine: when and how to prune
- Indian bean tree: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.