Trumpet vines are spectacular additions to the garden. Growing up to 40 feet long (12m) and producing beautiful, bright, trumpet shaped flowers, they’re a great choice if you want to add color to a fence or trellis. There are a few varieties of trumpet vine, however, so even if you know you want to take the plunge, there are still decisions to be made. Keep reading to learn about the different types of trumpet vines.
Common Varieties of Trumpet Vine Plant
Probably the most common of the trumpet vine types is Campsis radicans, also known as trumpet creeper. It grows to 40 feet (12 m.) in length and produces 3 inch (7.5 cm) blossoms that bloom in the summer. It is native to the southeastern United States, but it can survive down to USDA zone 4 and has been naturalized pretty much everywhere in North America.
Campsis grandiflora, also called Bignonia chinensis, is a variety native to East Asia that is only hardy in zones 7-9. It blooms in late summer and autumn.
Campsis tagliabuana is a cross between these two trumpet vine types that is hardy to zone 7.
Other Types of Trumpet Vines
Bignonia capriolata, also called crossvine, is a cousin to the common trumpet creeper that is also native the southern United States. It’s considerably shorter than C. radicans, and its flowers are a little smaller. This plant a good choice if you want a trumpet vine but don’t have 40 feet to devote.
The last of our trumpet vine types isn’t really a vine, but a shrub. While not related in any way to the Campsis or Bignonia trumpet vines, it is included for its trumpet-like blooms. The Brugmansia, also called angel’s trumpet, is a shrub that can grow to 20 feet high (6 m.) and is often mistaken for a tree. Just like the trumpet vine cultivars, it produces long, trumpet-shaped blooms in shades of yellow to orange or red.
A word of caution: Angel’s trumpet is highly toxic, but it also has a reputation as a hallucinogen, and has been known to kill people who ingest it as a drug. Especially if you have children, think carefully before you plant this one.
