My DH has been in Stephenville on a project and saw these beautiful trumpet vine blooms. He took photos with his phone and picked up some of the seed pods. Would these vines just take over the whole place if we start them? I expected large bean-like seeds similar to Mesquite trees but what I think are the seeds are paper thin and small. Is that correct?
Yes that is correct the seeds are papery.
As for being invasive, it just depends. This is the type of vine that blooms on new growth so if you don't want it rampant and want blooms you must cut it back to the mature wood every year.
Here is a link;
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CARA2
Josephine.
There is a cultivar called Bignonia capreolata 'Tangerine Beauty' that I've grown for years which isn't invasive in the Houston area. I think the previous poster put it well when speaking of the potential invasiveness of the native version. I've seen it completely take over and I've seen it restrained through cutting back.
Leslie
i have a question for Y'all I planted some of the seeds many years ago and have a beautiful plant but after 7 years not a single bloom...
Leslie, Bignonia capreolata is not a Trumpet vine it is a Crossvine, although the flowers are very similar so it is easy to get them mixed up, the plant is very different though, here is a link to Crossvine;
http://wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=BICA
Josephine.
Hello Gritts, Trumpet vine blooms at the ends of the current year's growth, it could be that you are cutting back the long side branches that come from the older wood, and you are not allowing it to bloom, of course I don't know that, but it could be the reason.
Josephine.
Josephine you could be right ,I don't remember if I pruned it at all last fall ,but I promise that I will not harm it this year at all..I built it a 10' trellis to climb along with my Cypress vine ..The Trumpet vine won the race to the top by about 12 ' ,will send a pic as soon as the Cypress Vine begins to bloom in earnest...Usually around the end of August...This is from last august
Dogs_N_Petunias, we had a native trumpet vine at our house in Midland. In addition to the rampant main vine, it seemed to spread by underground runners and was very hard to control. The vine is woody and attached itself with very strong grippers: they would push into cracks or seams where boards join together, causing the wood to separate and damage the fence, carport, etc. . It also attracted ants.
As pretty as they are when blooming, I found it too invasive for my taste since I had to continally cut it back to prevent damage to our structures.
I hope this helps,
Tina
Here, here, Tina...I agree with all of the above...we have lived in our house for 25 years and a trumpet vine was planted or more likely grew from wind or bird seed on the empty property behind our house. I found the underground runners for the first decade, then hired someone to remove the mother plant -- on someone else's property (he agreed) -- during the second decade and we are still removing runners each spring as much as 200 yards into our property...in the process, the vine destroyed 2 oak trees and an ash by smothering the trees...they had to be removed as well.
I don't believe there is a place this plant can grow that is far enough away that the runners will not reach...well, maybe another state!
And no, I do not think this is a pretty plant.
Thanks for all the input. We have decided to NOT plant any trumpet vine seed. Too many other things just as pretty and not as invasive.
DNP
Josephine, I know Bignonia capreolata is NOT a crossvine or true trumpet vine. I should've been more clear in my typed response. The plant I mentioned is a good vine to use in place of an invasive crossvine. It draws the hummingbirds, blooming during spring and fall migration, doesn't take over, and has no disease/insect problems.
Leslie
I agree with you Leslie, Bignonia capreolata is a wonderful vine I have lots of it and I love it.
