In my opinion, it isn't a matter of having room. Trumpet Vine makes seeds, lots of seeds, following the bloom. Birds will plant them where you didn't want. The original vine will send runners, even underneath a concrete walkway and out the other side, where you didn't want. The one that I never wanted and have not been able to kill, is at least 10 years old and has never bloomed but it has managed to out-distance even catbrier and Virginia creeper, two other thugs.

An aside: when I was a child, we called it 'cow itch vine.' I've heard it can cause a rash. I'm careful not to brush against it.

Nell

Thanks Nell. I'm not going to get it. No bloom, no buy! But they sure are pretty.

Get the red cardinal climber instead. It's an annual and has the same type of blooms. It's not even close to being as invasive and the hummers love it.

Ipomoea sloteri

I bought one a long time ago, as did an ex-neighbor. Nither did very well. Mine never got very big, nor did it bloom. It died after I moved it to an out of the way place.
The neighbor chucked hers after several years of it sending out runners and never blooming.

Another look-alike is Lonicera sempervirens, Trumpet Honeysuckle.
CMK

I have planted Trumpet Vine Balboa Sunset back in 2007 by the arbor. It bloomed the very first season. They did put few runners, which I just pulled. No signs of massive invasion yet. You got me thinking though: should I just get rid of it now, before it's too late? Or it is too late anyway, because the roots are deep and will resurface regardless?
~Natalie

Pianolady..your trumpet vine is beautiful!! Thanks for that picture. i have mine on a fence and am trying for a similar look. I have Indian Summer which is also not supposed to be as aggressive as the others.
Joann

Some wonderful vines are too successful in the warmer zones. My daughter has a fabulous star jasmine that she battles to keep it from eating her house in zone 9, and the sap give a bad rash. Most of the trumpet vines (and japanese honeysuckle, chinese wisteria) are way too successful in my zone 7. Those of you in colder areas could ask what happens where you are.

My MIL said she couldn't get rid of that TV. She had dug it, Rounded it Up, set it afire. It refused to die.

"Oh, don't kill it!" I said.
"Let me dig it up and take it to my house" I said.
"It is soooooo purty!" I said.
My MIL said "You're not going to like it!"

So I dug it and brought it home and planted it in the back corner of our property. It thrived and flourished. It tore up a chain link fence, invaded the greenhouse, breaking more than one pane of glass by sneaking in between the metal frame of the window and the glass pane. Sooner or later the glass breaks.

It has sent runners to every part of the back yard, and the birds have helped no end. I am slowly but surely getting a handle on it, but it has been difficult to manage. AND, it has never bloomed for me. It is blooming in the pasture next to us, however.

I hate that thing!

Janie

It does sound like it is a bad idea for a warmer zone, keep in mind I'm in Zone 4b, which tends to slow things down and keep things in better control. I wouldn't have it if it were as described in many of the warmer zones. No way.

{{gwi:256841}}

DON'T GET IT. Sure it's pretty but very invasive. Everyone told me it's invasive and did I listen, NO. The first year it did not grow so we fertilize it and boom it went wild. Just beware... :)

I think maybe the answer to having pretty vines in a warm zone is to use annual vines, like Tom's Cardinal Climber and Janie's Hyacinth Vine. If they reseed, at least the little seedlings are easy to pull. I have cypress vine seedlings up, which has blooms like the Cardinal Climber, but different, wispier foliage.

Nell

Are you talking about Bignonia capreolata (crossvine)?

We had it until 2 weeks ago, growing on an obelisk trellis. We never found runners or seedlings.

It grew so fast (so it is aggressive) and so often and tried to go up under our cedar shingles and gutters, so we pulled it out when we were pulling out invasive privet. Planted Confederate jasmine and hyacinth bean on the obelisk.

Here it is growing at the JC Raulston Arboretum lath house at NC State: {{gwi:691300}}More about theLath house

Here is a link that might be useful: Bignonia

That is a beautiful nook, in the Lath House!

-Cameron, I think the plant in question is Campis, Trumpet Vine.
CMK

pianolady007 I know this is a very old post but I would love to know how to train the trumpet vine alone the fence like that. I have one that I would love to do this with.

If you are brave enough to plant one, plant it at the base of a fence post and guide the vine up the post during the first year. In subsequent years, trim it back to just one central "trunk" and allow only lateral branches at the top. Guide those along the top of the fence. You can prune this vine back to almost nothing and it will come back strong. They bloom best in absolutely full sun and with relatively poor soil. But, they are very aggressive and will ruin wooden buildings, if given the chance.

Martha

Great docmom I already have it planted along a fence it's about 3-4 years old. I will see if I can guide the branches like you said. I have it in a really sunny spot. The soil is very good there. I have been pulling out the shoots all the time. I don't really like that part about this plant. I'm wondering how tall the fence should be. My fence is only 4 feet tall. I can probably make a trellis or support that will make it taller if needed.
thanks for the help!

Houstworks, I have seen Trumpet Vines climbing to the top of telephone poles, so you could probably create as tall a support as you want and your vine will grow to cover it. Good luck. I love to see people find an appropriate spot to grow these vines, because they are great for hummingbirds and other pollinators. Despite their aggressive growth habit, they are native and a valuable plant for restoring healthy balance in the ecosystem.

Martha