Trumpet Vine
Campsis radicans
📖 About this plant
A spectacular, extremely vigorous deciduous vine that produces large clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers in fiery shades of orange and red throughout summer. The compound leaves provide a lush backdrop, and aerial rootlets allow it to cling to walls and structures with remarkable strength. A magnet for hummingbirds and butterflies, it is one of the most dramatic flowering vines for warm-climate gardens. Can be invasive if not managed.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
Every 1-2 weeks
Moderate (40-60%)
10-35°C
Any well-draining soil; tolerates poor, sandy, and clay soils; pH 6.0-8.0; very adaptable
Generally does not need regular fertilization; a light application of balanced fertilizer in spring is sufficient
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Eastern and central North America
- 📏 Max height
- 500-1000 cm
- 📐 Spread
- 300-500 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Orange, Red
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Very Fast
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Mildly toxic — sap can cause skin irritation and contact dermatitis; leaves may cause stomach upset if ingested
- 🌱 Propagation
- Semi-hardwood cuttings in summer, root suckers division, or seed sowing in spring (stratify first)
🛡️ Health & Safety
Mildly toxic — sap can cause skin irritation and contact dermatitis; leaves may cause stomach upset if ingested
Common issues
- Extremely aggressive — can damage structures and overwhelm nearby plants
- Takes 3-5 years to flower from seed
- Root suckers spread far from the parent plant
💡 Care tips
- Produces masses of trumpet-shaped orange-red flowers
- Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies all summer long
- Aggressive climber that needs a very strong support structure
- Prune hard in late winter to keep growth in check
