Vines - Trumpet Creeper
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  (July) I have three trumpet vines that have all been planted in flower beds with enriched soil. They are on the west side of my home, get slight shade, mostly full sunlight. I transplanted them from the  south side of my yard in full shade. However, their new sunny location has not produced a single bloom. The plants look lush and very healthy. What should I feed them in order to get the flowers?

  It sounds to me like they are too happy. Trumpet vines or trumpet creeper -- Campsis radicans is technically a weed and does better in poor sites. If it is planted in too rich of a site, it tends to grow to the exclusion of flowering. Avoid any more fertilizer, and if possible (if the rain stops) let it get a bit on the dry side. If you can slow down the growth, you should see some flowers.

  (August) I have seen a vine growing in the wild that has orange, trumpet-shaped blooms and long seed pods. Could you tell me what the vine is and how to plant the pod? I want to grow a vine on an electric/phone pole to mask it in my backyard and thought this might work.

  The plant in question is a trumpet creeper, Campsis radicans. It is a native vine which tends to bloom best in a poorer location. To grow it from seed, harvest the seeds when the pods have dried. Remove them from the long pod and either sow the seeds directly this fall, where you want them to grow next year, or put them in a plastic bag with moist potting soil, and store in the refrigerator for 2 months before sowing in a pot. This cool moist period, called stratification, will give you more uniform germination.

  (September) What is the vine with orange trumpet flowers I see growing wild all threw Arkansas? I also see it growing on a fence or pole in private lawns. Is it poisonous?

  The most common vine with orange flowers now is Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans. This native vine is quite prolific if it is grown in poorer sites. You will get a tremendous amount of foliage with fewer flowers if the soil is rich. A close relative is the native Cross Vine, Bignonia capreolata, which usually has more yellowish flowers. An improved cultivar of it is 'Tangerine Beauty' with orange flowers which will bloom for a longer period than the native one, which is usually done in June. The leaves and the flowers may cause skin irritation on some folks with the trumpet creeper according to my poisonous plant book.

  (October) About three years ago I planted a trumpet vine to cover a chain link fence. I finally got it to bloom this year, thanks to your suggestions in a previous column. Now I notice two large "green pods" very similar to an overgrown green been. Can you tell me what they are?

  They are the seed pods. These seed pods will split open and scatter seeds, and new plants may emerge throughout your yard. If you want to contain where they grow, harvest the seed pods as they dry, and scatter the seeds where you want them.

  Enclosed is the nursery tag off of a vine we have planted in our back yard. This is the third year it has grown, but it has yet to flower. It is planted under a large black walnut tree, and grows on a trellis. It is slow to begin growth in the spring, but does show some new growth about July 1st. I am disappointed by the lack of blooms. Can you help?

  The vine, Campsis flava, is an improved yellow-flowering cultivar of the old-fashioned trumpet creeper. They usually don’t get actively growing until the soil warms up, that part is normal. They do best in average to poor soil with plenty of sunlight. Prune them back hard prior to new growth beginning in the spring. Avoid excess nitrogen around the plant, or you may end up with all vine. The one limiting factor you mentioned could be the black walnut tree. They give off a toxin known as Juglone which adversely affects many plants. The shade may also be a limiting factor.

  I have a trumpet vine that is about 15 years old and it has never bloomed. It produces beautiful vines but no trumpet flowers. It does not help the hummingbirds at all. What can I do to encourage blooms?

  Trumpet vines tend to bloom their best in a location with plenty of sunlight and low fertility. If the plant is planted in a rich environment and regularly fertilized and watered, it will grow to the exclusion of blooming. Make sure it gets plenty of sunlight. Don't give it any nitrogen, try super phosphate or super bloom fertilizer and see what happens.

  I found some trumpet creeper vine at the back of our property and I would like to move it closer to the house. When is the best time to move it and what type of soil preparation should I make to make sure that it survives and blooms nicely. I suppose it needs sunlight, but how much?

  The best time to move plants would be in the fall, around the first of November. Flag or mark where the trumpet creeper is now that it is in bloom, so you can recognize it this fall. Find a sunny location without particularly rich soil. If you amend the soil too much and get the ground rich, you’ll end up with all vine and no flowers. They bloom best in low fertility soil. You may want to bring a bucket of their existing soil with the plant to make it feel at home.

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