Trumpet vine

The trumpet vine, or trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), also known as "cow itch vine," is a large and vigorous woody vine of the family Bignoniaceae, notable for its showy trumpet-shaped flowers. It is native to woodlands of the southeastern United States, but popular for arbors across the warmer parts of the country.

The leaves are ovate, pinnate, 3-10 cm long, and emerald green when new, maturing into a dark green. The flowers come in terminal cymes of 4-12, orange to red in color with a yellowish throat, and generally appear after several months of warm weather. The plant as a whole may grow to 10 meters in height.

The flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds, and many types of birds like to nest in the dense foliage.

The vigor of the trumpet vine should not be underestimated. In warm weather, it puts out huge numbers of tendrils that grab onto every available surface, and eventually expand into heavy woody stems several cm in diameter. It grows well on arbors, fences, and trees, although it may dismember them in the process. Ruthless pruning is recommended.

It does not like the cold, and it will lose most of its leaves in a freeze, although the plant itself will recover.

Alternate scientific names have included Bignonia radicans and Tecoma radicans.