Trumpet Creeper: A Complete Guide to Growing and Plant Care
Trumpet creepers (Campsis radicans) are great additions to any garden because of their beautiful flowers and vibrant colours. Growing this plant will add beauty to your garden and attract pollinators like hummingbirds and bees. Also called trumpet vines, trumpet creepers RHS Award of Garden Merit because of their bright orange and red flowers and thick dense foliage. If you're looking to cover a fence, a trellis, or an arbor, trumpet shrubs do it quickly, and become a living wall of green.
Even so, covering it with greenery requires a bit of planning, and this guide offers everything you need to plant, and cultivate a healthy trumpet shrub.
Getting to Know the Trumpet Creeper
For a look at all the features they bring and the work they do, let's look at trumpet creepers a bit and the work they do. This woody plant is widely recognised, and is a very decorous vertical shrub. They do very well in lots of different climates and are very sturdy with varying ad zones of 4 to 9.
Three to four-inch trumpet shaped flowers grow in clusters and stand out among other garden attractions blooming from mid-summer to early fall in orange and red shades, and a rare yellow shade. Long, bean-shaped seedpods appear along with the flowers and do not mature until the fall season, but the flowers are the main attractions of the trumpet creeper.
Pinnately compound meaning, the leaves grow in an opposite pattern, with tender and lush leaves on opposite sides, and give the creeper an overall feathery look. Climbing the creeper are aerial rootlets which attach to bricks, wood, and stone, clinging thoroughly to the surface which is a plus, however, to avoid damaging painted surfaces, outbuilding is highly recommended.
Planting Your Trumpet Creeper for Success
To help promote a healthy and growing vine, the proper planting of the trumpet creeper should be done to install proper growing habits. Taking an appropriate amount of time to take care in choosing a solid planting location and preparing the soil to the right consistency will ensure a healthy trumpet creeper for growing years.
Choosing the Right Location
To ensure a happy trumpet creeper, the first and most important selection criteria is the amount of available sunlight. They prefer and will grow best with six to eight full hours of sunlight a day. While they may be alright with partial sunlight during the day, they will lose flowers as a result of flowering will be significantly reduced.
Because of how aggressively they root and grow, placement is critical. Be sure to have a solid support system, like a strong fence, a large arbor, or a heavy-duty trellis. Try not to plant it directly adjacent to the house, as its climbing rootlets may work their way into small cracks, damaging siding and other elements. It's a good idea to plant it away from other patios, walkways, and garden beds as well, as its runners may become a garden pest.
Soil Prep and Planting
In terms of soil, trumpet creepers do not have the highest standards. They can survive in anything from sandy soil to clay. However, they are at their best in well-draining soil. If your soil is on the heavier, clay side, tweak the soil and add compost to improve aeration and to let excess water escape. We want to avoid root rot.
Early fall is best for planting trumpet creepers, as it allows them time to form a good root system and do the soil modifications mentioned before heat and cold extremes in the summer or winter.
When you're ready to plant the trumpet creepers, dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball and that is twice as wide as the root ball.
- Carefully take the plant out of its pot and untangle any roots that may have grown in circles.
- Put the plant in the hole and make sure that the top of the roots are level with the top of the surrounding dirt.
- Fill the hole with dirt and press down to make sure that there are no air bubbles in the dirt.
- Water the roots to pack the dirt down.
- Taking Care of Your Trumpet Creeper.
Ongoing Care for a Healthy Trumpet Creeper
If your trumpet vines are well established, they require little work from you, but there are some things you can do to make sure they stay pretty and tidy.
Watering and Mulching
Make sure to keep the dirt a little damp during the trumpet creeper's first growing season in order to help the roots spread out into the surrounding dirt. Once the creeper is established, it can survive without any watering, but be sure to give it a deep drink during especially hot and dry weeks.
Putting 2 to 3 inches of organic mulch (like shredded wood) on top of the dirt around the plant will help keep the dirt moist and the weeds down, as well as making the dirt a better temperature. Just make sure that the mulch is a couple inches away from the plant's stem to make sure that the plant does not get any rot.
Fertilizing for Blooms, Not Just Leaves
Trumpet creepers grow just fine with little fertilization and average soil. They especially do not need fertilizing, and in fact, if you over fertilize, you might end up getting too much foliage and not enough flowers. If you have particularly bad soil, just put down one application of a low-nitrogen fertilizer with a 5-10-5 ratio.
Why Pruning is Important
You need to prune trumpet creepers if you want them to grow flowers and not just greenery. Because flowers bloom in the new growth, trumpet creepers need to be trimmed in the winter and early spring.
You can and should hard cut trumpets in winter, leaving a few smaller branches or main buds before new growth appears. It may look bad at first, but in the end, the trumpet creeper will look more controlled and have better flower growth in the summer. You can also trim off younger or smaller shoots so the trumpet continues to look controlled during summer.
Controlling Its Rapid Expansion
The trumpet creeper's biggest problem is its ability to spread through underground runners. These runners can emerge several feet away from the parent plant, quickly developing into additional vines. To avoid an invasion, consider putting in a root barrier around the plant when planting. Periodic mowing around the area can also help contain spreading suckers.
Companion Plants for Your Trumpet Vine
Combining a trumpet creeper with other climbers can produce a dazzling, fully-season spectacle of a variety of colors and textured displays. Pick plants that have the same needs for sunlight and support.
Suitable selections are:
Clematis
These plants can fold through the leaves of the trumpet vine and add an extra beautiful contrast with trumpet vines' large purple, pink, and white flowers. Lots of kinds bloom in the early summer, right before the trumpet vine is at its peak.
Honeysuckle
Climbing honeysuckle vines are a beautiful and fragrant compliment to trumpet creepers. They have a charm about them and are always climbing around. They also have flowers that are tubular in shape that come in white, pink, yellow and other colors that also attract lots of butterflies.
Wisteria
Nothing adds drama to the garden like some elegant wisteria vines. Just be sure to monitor their growth. Wisteria vines are heavy growers, so both plants will need strong support and some careful pruning to keep them from choking each other and the garden.
Additional Supplement For Your Lively Gardens
With the right support and a bit of yearly trimming, trumpet creepers are wonderful, lively plants for any gardener. They create a lively atmosphere in a garden because of their beautiful blooming colors and ability to lure in hummingbirds.
If you're wanting to add a trumpet creeper, or other beautiful native plants to your landscape, check out TN Nursery! They have a wonderful collection of healthy, high-quality vines, perennials, and trees ready to enhance your garden.
FAQs
How do you take care of a trumpet creeper?
Water the plant regularly for the first year, and then it should be drought tolerant. During that time, it will need a sturdy support system and at least 6 hours of sunlight. In late winter, prune it back a lot to keep a good size and promote a lot of smaller flowers in the new growths.
Where is the best place to plant a trumpet vine?
These plants do best in very sunny locations that have trellises, arches, or fences they can climb. Do not plant these at the side of your house. Their aerial rootlets can get into the siding and damage it. These plants can also be very spread.
When to plant trumpet creeper?
When there is no risk of frost and it is the early fall, this is the best time to plant trumpet creepers. This is because it allows the vine to develop a healthy root system, so it will not be as troubled by the summer heat or the dormant winter cold.
What is the trumpet creeper used for?
These creepers are mainly used as a decorative climbing plant. They can be placed on fences, arches, or walls for a visually pleasing, green covering. They have lots of large, trumpet-shaped flowers, so they will also attract plenty of hummingbirds and other garden pollinators.
What problems does trumpet vine have?
Its main issue would have to be its aggressiveness. It can quickly become invasive without supervision, and it can cling to and damage painted structures, wood, and siding. They rarely attract pests, but spider mites and aphids may visit.
What are good companion plants for trumpet vines?
Other strong climbers that like the same sun and support like wisteria, especially if you have a strong support. For added fragrance, honeysuckle works great. Clematis, a strong climber as well, will complement the color of the other plants beautifully.
