Habitat
- native to the eastern and south central United States
- hardy to zone 4
- Special Note: This species has demonstrated
an invasive tendency in Connecticut, meaning it may escape from cultivation
and naturalize in minimally managed areas. For more information, Click
Here.
Habit
and Form
- a deciduous climbing vine
- 30' to 40' tall or wide depending if growth is supported upright or
creeping
- has rootlike holdfasts
- vigorous grower


Summer
Foliage
- opposite deciduous leaves
- pinnately compound, 7, 9, or 11 leaflets
- coarsely toothed
- somewhat shiny, dark green color
- late to leaf out in spring

Autumn
Foliage
- fall color is poor
- yellow-green
Flowers
- showy, tubular flowers
- 2.5" to 3" long and 1.5" wide at the mouth
- orange-scarlet colored
- born in clusters of 4 to a dozen at the terminals
- blooms on new growth
- July through August bloom period

Fruit
- a 3" to 5" long capsule about 0.75" wide
- somewhat shaped like a peapod that tapers more at the ends
- seeds are flattened with 2 wings
- change from green to tan
Bark
- light tan
- slightly exfoliating on old trunks

Culture
- very easy to grow
- not particular as to soil as long as its not waterlogged
- pruning back or thinning may be beneficial
- full sun
Landscape
Use
- as a screen
- to cover rock piles
- train up a lattice or trellis
- useful for mid-late summer bloom
- flowers attract hummingbirds

Liabilities
- a rampant grower, so need room to develop
- late to leaf out, but this is a minor issue
- a poor climber that may need extra support to grow vertically
- can get some twig dieback in cold years in the colder part of zone 4
- no diseases or insects are particulary problematic

ID
Features
- bundle scar in a U-shaped ring
- root-like aerial holdfasts typically abundant
- opposite leaves
- pinnately compound leaves, coarsely toothed
- trumpet-shaped red/orange flowers
- light tan bark

Propagation
- stratified seeds
- softwood cuttings
- root cuttings
Cultivars/Varieties
'Crimson Trumpet' - Has redder flowers than the species, no orange hue.
Vigorous grower.
'Flava' - Has yellow or yellow-orange flowers. Otherwise similar to
the species. Considered by many to be superior to the species.


'Madame Galen' (or 'Mme Galen') - A hybrid with C. grandiflora,
this is a common commercial selection with vivid orange-apricot blooms produced
all summer on self-fastening stems. The foliage is a clean green and the plant
grows quickly.
'Variegata' - A form with white-marked leaves and orange flowers that
is occasionally available.