Trumpet Creeper PDF Print E-mail
Written by Kim Rogers   
Jul 10 2011 1:46PM
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At this time of year, I can’t help but notice all the beautiful flowers around town.  The brutal Texas heat in the summer is hard on many flowers, plants and trees, but one flower that thrives in this weather is the Trumpet Creeper, also known as Campsis radicans.

The large, woody vine always catches my eye because of the beautiful trumpet-shaped orange, red or yellow flowers.  Blooming from June to September, the vines feature numerous roots which grab onto every available surface – fences, telephone poles, walls, trees, etc.

Native the southeastern United States, this popular perennial plant blooms profusely in full sun, but less so in partial shade.

The spectacular flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds, especially Ruby-throated hummingbirds who use the flowers as their major food source. Along with bumblebees, they are one of the few birds/insects that can reach the nectar inside the long flowers.  Trumpet Creeper depends on these birds/insects to pollinate flowers. Each time a hummingbird or bee visits a flower, it gets pollen on its head which it delivers to the next flower.

A word of warning – handling this plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction in some people, similar to poison ivy. 		 trumpet-creeper-200x375 

The leaves can also cause a rash in animals, especially cows, so this plant is often referred to as a "cow itch vine."

The high-climbing plant grows very quickly and crowds other plants, so if you want to add a little privacy to an existing chain-link fence or if you simply have an unattractive fence that is in need of a little pizzazz, you won’t regret adding this striking plant to your garden.
 
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