Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper Vine
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( KAMP-sis  RAD-ee-kans )
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Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper potted plants are available, $4.00 each plus UPS shipping
please contact us by email for shipping charges on potted plants

Campsis radicans, Trumpet Creeper or Trumpet Vines has large trumpet shaped flowers that are bright red to orange on the outside, yellow inside and grow in clusters of 2 to 9 Flowers.   Trumpet vine with it's bright red flowers attracts hummingbirds and provides valuable cover for birds and small mammals.  Wild Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper vine will climb trees or woody structures but is usually found sprawling on the ground or over a wood fence post.  Plant Trumpet Vine in rich, organic soil and use as a loose, sprawling groundcover, to cascade over a rock wall, as a point of interest on a single fence post, or as a spectacular sweep up the side of a stone building.

Wild Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper vine like most vines may grow aggressively and should be planted where it's spread will not be a problem or can be controlled by mowing.  Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper is an attractive hummingbird flower occurring naturally in open woods, thickets, cliffs, stream banks, old fields, and along roadsides from Florida to Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, north to New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and west to Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and southeastern Kansas.  Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper has been naturalized north to Connecticut, Ohio and Michigan.   (-37°F) Zones 3 to 9,  (Bignoniacceae Family)

 Extreme cold may damage seeds, plant seeds in early spring.  

Alternate Names

Bignonia radicans var. praecox. Bignonia radicans, Campsis radicans forma minor, Campsis radicans var. atropurpurea, Campsis radicans forma praecox, Campsis radicans var. speciosa, Campsis radicans var. praecox, Campsis radicans subforma praecox, Campsis radicans var. aurea, Campsis radicans forma flava, cow-itch, Gelseminum radicans, Tecoma radicans var. minor, Tecoma radicans var. atropurpurea, Tecoma radicans var. lutea, Tecoma radicans var. praecox, Tecoma radicans var. flava, Tecoma radicans var. speciosa, Tecoma radicans, Tecoma speciosa, Trumpet flower, Trumpet vine.

 Warning: Contact with the leaves and flowers of trumpet creeper results in skin redness and swelling among mammals.  It is also slightly toxic if ingested.

 Uses

Ornamental: The showy flowers of trumpet creeper make this plant appropriate for some gardening and landscaping needs. It is often used as a cover for fences, arbors, walls, pillars or large trellises and as a groundcover. The cigar-like fruit may be considered decorative during winter.

 Wildlife: The tubular flowers and large quantities of nectar produced by trumpet creeper are attractants for hummingbirds and butterflies.  

Weediness

Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper vine may become weedy or invasive in some regions or habitats and may displace desirable vegetation if not properly managed.  

Description

General: Bignonia Family (Bignoniaceae). Trumpet creeper is a deciduous or partly evergreen vine that climbs by aerial rootlets and twining stems.  Stems can grow up to 12 m long and have numerous aerial rootlets. Leaves are opposite, pinnately compound and coarsely toothed, composed of 7, 9, or 11 leaflets. Leaflets are somewhat shiny and dark green.  Flowers are yellow-orange to red, tubular, and up to 8 cm long and 4 cm wide at the mouth.  Flowers are born in clusters of four to a dozen and bloom from July through August. The fruit is a flat, tapered capsule, 8-13 cm long with seeds that are flat and winged.

 Distinguishing characters of trumpet creeper include its U-shaped bundle scars on the stem, abundant root-like aerial stems, opposite compound leaves that are coarsely toothed, large trumpet-shaped flowers, and its light tan bark that appears flaky on mature stems.

 Distribution: Trumpet creeper is native to eastern, north-central, and south-central portions of the United States and has become naturalized in New England.  Its natural range occurs from New Jersey to Ontario and Iowa, and south to Florida and Texas. For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site.

 Habitat: Trumpet creeper is found in thickets, dry woods, waste grounds, railroads, disturbed sites, clearings, and along roadsides and fencerows.

 Adaptation

The USDA hardiness zones for trumpet creeper are 4-10. It grows in wet to dry soils and sand, loam, or clay soil types with a pH range of 3.7 to 6.8. Trumpet creeper prefers full sun for best flowering.

 Management

If not controlled, rampant growth will become a problem.  Trumpet Creeper Vines should be thinned throughout the growing season and cut back in winter to prevent aggressive spread.

 Pests and Potential Problems

Planthoppers may occasionally feed on trumpet vine but generally do not cause serious damage. Leaf spots caused by various fungi may be seen but are not serious.  Mildew causes a white powdery growth on the leaves.

 Seeds and Plant Production

Trumpet creeper is typically propagated by cuttings. It readily roots and develops new suckers that allow the species to grow rapidly.

 Seeds are prepared for germination by stratifying them in moist sand for 60 days at 4^oC and 30% relative humidity.  Fungicide should be added to the sand to prevent mildew formation.  For spring outplanting, seeds are sown in early fall.  Sixty percent germination will occur within two weeks of removal from stratification conditions.  There is no special treatment required for establishment other than monitoring for water needs.

 During the active growth phase, plants will need to be cutback to encourage root growth and prevent the tangling of foliage.  Seedlings will need to harden in winter-like temperatures before outplanting.

The map below shows areas where native Campsis radicans Trumpet vine plants grow wild but it can be planted and will grow over a much wider area than shown.  USDA plant hardiness zones 3 to 9.

Use the chart below for shipping charges on Campsis radicans Trumpet Creeper vine flower seeds, to order copy the order form or email questions, comments & orders to john

please contact us by email for shipping charges on potted plants

The minimum seed order amount is $10, this can be a combination of different seeds.

We accept payment by check, money order & through paypal

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Campsis radicans trumpet creeper vine plant distribution map complements of USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1
  (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.