I am not familiar with this perennial's biology/growth habits/distribution. Is it a tropical or subtropical? If so, maybe it does not need a dormant period and would grow for indoors in winter.

Joseph

Thank you for the replies. My mother-in-law gave me the vine - it was a baby from the vine in her yard. She leaves hers outside and it comes back each spring. It is the aggressive type. I don't want to grow mine as a vine, but want to train it to grow as a tree instead. I read that they only get around 15 feet tall with a weeping willow effect if grown as a tree, but take 5-10 years of pruning and staking to resemble a tree. I was hoping that if I keep it in a large pot (bring it inside in the winter and move it outside in the spring) I can take advantage of the winter months by letting it continue to grow, thus speeding up the training process. I tend to be impatient with trees (every plant's nightmare), and am not sure if keeping the vine on a steady growing cycle will be okay or harmful to the plant. I'm not sure if it absolutely needs that dormant time.

Is this a bonsai technique? It is intriguing and would like to learn more. Have fun with it!

My trumpet vine is about to be potted. I'm hoping to turn it into a tree, too. It is a "giant" trumpet vine that I bought in FL. It has been planted for @ 4 years and has been trained around a shepard's hook. It looks great but has NO BLOOMS. A few weeks ago I noticed little berries. I KNOW I haven't seen any blooms...much less giant ones! Anyone know what I've got going on here?

Thank you again for the replies. Gerris2 - I actually got the idea and information from this website. A person wrote in asking how to make a "trumpet vine tree". Daktovet69 gave some great detailed instructions. Andrea117 - I was surprised to read your entry. I have a vine behind my house that was planted by the previous owners and I have no idea what it is. It looks just like a trumpet vine but also doesn't flower. The berries are green and orange. It definitely is a "giant" vine. The year I had my twins I couldn't do yard work and forgot about the vine. When I went behind the house late in fall the vine was covering a good portion of the house and the entire garage!

Just recieved one of these! She's about 18inches tall....shot in the dark since this post is 11 years old but did you have like with it indoors?? I'm going to pot it 5oday!

Plants that are native to temperate climates - like trumpet vine - do not make good long term houseplants. They do not grow year round and absolutely need a period of dormancy, usually associated with winter cold. You may be able to keep them gong for a couple of seasons but lack of a consistent period of dormancy will eventually kill them. Other indoor conditions as well may impede even short term heathy growth, with lack of sunlight and a very dry indoor atmosphere. The plant is unlikely to flower indoors and what's the point of growing trumpet vine if not for its flowers? It is an aggressive menace otherwise.

I live in zone 6 which I know is good for the plant. It doesn't have flowers yet it's a starter plant I got from a friend. I'm hoping to keep it healthy until late spring next year indoors. I'd like to then put it in a bigger pot outdoors and keep it there until we move. That's why I'm avoiding planting it in the ground yet. I'm not sure when we will be moving exactly we're hoping with in the next year, two years tops. I suppose I could always propogate or just get a new starter.....what do you think is best? Enjoy it in the ground while I have it? If so should I wait until after winter? Sorry for all the questions and thank you for any advice in advance!!!

It wont be happy indoors. Pot it up now and keep outside. If you have concerns about the winter just sink the pot into the ground.

Honestly, you may want to rethink planting this monster in the ground. It won't be long before it starts producing root suckers (very likely what your "starter" plant is) all over the place and at considerable distance from the mother plant. These forums are filled with folks who regret ever considering planting one of these climbers!

I would love something to take over the yard honestly it's such an awkward mess I'll be cleaning it up until we move and it still won't be done! Any advice on a good fast spreading ground cover? I want something to cover the whole lawn. We have humongous spruce trees outgrowth and their roots are huge and weave in and out of the lawn its a pain and exhausting to mow

Whatever you do, avoid non-native thugs like pachysandra, periwinkle, English ivy ... I think dwarf clover (micro-clover) would not be bad. Sweet woodruff, while not native to the U.S. spreads determinedly (but not terribly fast) and is happy in shade or even sun (proof is in my yard, despite the admonition that it only thrives in shade -- not so!). Creeping thyme loves sun and is very drought-tolerant once established. If you have shady areas, plant native ginger (Asarum canadense); it will spread slowly but is wonderful. None of the plants I suggested needs to be mowed. Check with your local Extension office for more recommendations. Put down raw woodchip mulch (or pine needles if you live in the South where they sell it by the bale) under your spruce trees (as opposed to that gawd-awful dyed crap) -- get some free from utility company tree trimmers when they are in your area.

Thank you so so much for all your tips and advice! The creeping thyme and ginger sound wonderful and spreading woodchips under the trees sounds perfect. I've been thinking of doing that but we're in a rental until we buy. I didn't want to get into trial and error with wasting money (We get cheap rent for all the renovations we've done and are continuing, we're getting the yard cleaned and prepped before the fall, we live in Massachusetts) I'll check out the sweet woodruff as well !! Ty again!!!

Gardengal has some good points. 😸

Kelly Woo, I did a bit of looking around on the ‘Net and found the following plant suggestions. While I cannot replace our entire acre+ lawn, I am planning to replace the grass that is growing along with a number weeds and tree seedlings right up to the bases of most of the trees in our yard with a wide ring of groundcover/mulch. Since I've been taking notes on that project, I thought I’d share some of the plant names I found that might interest you as well.

There are several species of Chrysogonum virginianum that look suitable; North Creek Nurseries has at least one.

Tiarella and Heuchera are lovely; I have several of each already in my yard and will be moving those to my new purpose and adding more!

I like wintergreen, but it does not grow very fast and I have not had luck with it.

A lot of people like to plant native sedges (Carex spp.) but I don’t care for those for my purpose as they will look to my neighbors as if I simply have chosen not to mow my lawn (and sedges are NOT meant to be mowed!)!

I have a small patch of Allegheny pachysandra (Pachysandra procumbens) but it is a verrrry slow spreader – very unlike the non-native, aggressive Japanese species!

Of course, there are numerous ferns, but it depends on how tall (and aggressive) Red creeping thymeyou want your ground covers to be!

OH! And I cannot forget my lovely little patch of stonecrop – Sedum ternatum! It has come back for the last 12 years in the same little patch I planted after digging up a start of it in our Pennsylvania woods before we moved to central Ohio. It’s at the base of a honey locust and I keep having to pull the grass, wild violets, and other things that keep encroaching on it. Such a pretty little plant…

Well, I hope these ideas get you started! Finally, here’s a link to a good article on creeping thyme: https://returntonow.net/2020/12/31/red-creeping-thyme-the-beautiful-pink-lawn-you-never-have-to-mow-water-weed-or-fertilize/

AWESOME! thanks sooo much for all the info and the link!! I have some research to do. Sounds like your yard is similar to mine with the trees and what not. I will also be encircling the 8, 40 ft tall spruce trees that line the very front of my front yard 🙄 post some pictures!!!!

Best wishes with your project, Kelly Woo! Of course the fall (at least here in the Midwest) is an excellent time to plant things! People tend to forget that the ground stays warm much longer than the air temperature, allowing new plants (or transplants) to develop a good root system that will get them off to a flying start come spring.