THE TRUMPET VINE IS A SURE BET IF YOU WANT IT TO GROW FAST AND REALLY COVER THE TRELLIS. IT IS VERY PRETTY AND WILL ATTRACT WILDLIFE. BUT........ YES. THEY ARE VERY INVASIVE. MY NEIGHBOR HAS ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIS POOL IN HIS BACK YARD. IT IS NOT OVERLY LARGE AND I DON'T KNOW HOW OLD IT IS BUT I HAVE SHOOTS COMMING UP ALL OVER MY BACK AND FRONT YARD FROM IT. THEY ARE NOT EASY TO PULL. YOU BASICLY HAVE TO MOW OVER THEM, DIG THEM UP, OR JUST KEEP CLIPING WITH TRIMMERS. SO. IT DEPENDS ON IF THIS BOTHERS YOU OR NOT. I LIKE THE LOOK OF THE VINE AND HAVE DECIDED IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM JOIN 'EM. THE FEW THAT HAVE SURFACED IN AN APPROPRIATE SPOT I HAVE PUT A TRELLIS NEXT TO TO TRAIN BUT IT IS A VERY UNRULLY VINE.

Trumpet vine can go a little (or a lot) crazy, but they attract hummingbirds better than almost anything. Two aunts of mine had them in their yards when I was young and we loved watching the hummers when our family visited.

They kept them well, and didn't seem to have problems with them - wysteria is far more aggressive, just for comparison. But I love both, I have a wysteria, and would like to get a trumpet.

I've never heard of Rose of Sharon being invasive. And I can't get clematis to grow, though I've tried many, many times. The clematis also seems to be an extremely slow grower compared to other vines - but will probably do better in your locale than mine.

Trumpet vine gets REALLY big 20-40', and can send up sucker shoots from the roots. Try it in a container. Clematis would be more restrained- 6-10'.

Rose of Sharon self-sows- you can get 'volunteers' in your beds. But if you are not near a natural area, I wouldn't hesitate to plant it. They are/have developed varieties the don't seed.

I am a lover of invasive vines. Yes, they take work - until I moved I was owned by a trumpet vine 'tree', honeysuckle, ivy, morning glories and a wysteria.
The trumpet vine should be planted away from your house (it will climb into the eaves and under the shingles etc unless you are very very very careful - and why not just move it out further to let it do a little more of what it was designed for).
I kept mine restrained by scrounging up an old rusted antenaee tower (the kind to pull in tv stations that you can climb - either square or triangular). Most older houses do or used to have them. I planted the trumpet vine around it and then weaved the vine into the center. The vine will eventually get very woody stalks. Once it reached the top it began to fan out much like a weeping tree. You get to pick the height of your tree based on the height of your support. Then all it takes is trimming the weeping head of the tree to the desired length and it makes a nice umbrella canaopy. You can run the mower down around the base to keep the suckers under control.
Rose of Sharon is not as invasive but it too will send little shoots up around the base (either pull them up and place them in a bucket to share or mow them over). I wouldn't really call it 'invasive' here though (zone 5 ohio)
If trumpet vine were so 'terrible' I wouldn't be planning to repeat my endeavor - which I can't wait to get started on. I already have a 'new' antenae to use.

Don't plant the trumpet vine, it is invasive, it will go to seed, the birds eat them and take them to places where they take over and choke everything else out. but the choice is yours, if you do decide to plant it your ears may tingle a bit from time to time as I swear at anyone who planted it (as I am continually trying to eradicate it from my property, and it isn't fun!)

trumpet vine is invasive in every sense of the word- the seeds are VERY viable, it 'runs' and will root at every node that touches the ground, AND it sends up shoots from the roots.

and it can damage clapboard, vinyl siding, and roofs in a single season- makes ivy look well-behaved.

it is, however, a really georgeous plant...and it does just fine in a 5 gallon bucket/planter in my yard :)

the Rose of Sharon, once it's mature and flowering, self-seeds pretty freely as well- which is bad if you're a nit-picky lawn person. not so bad if you have space to fill, or a hedge that you're not in a hurry for.

they're also fun to train into funny shapes, or braid three of them together and let them grow that way.

I personally would not plant either BUT,the trumpet vine is in a Never never category for all the reasons listed above. They can also try to come up UNDER your house as well as all the mischief they get into outside.
R O S is just messy and self seeds, if it is in an area that you plan to just mow like a meadow or something like that they are not bad. They just drop seeds all over the place and that is not as bad as vines that try to swallow the world. Halls honeysuckle is as bad if not worse than the trumpet vine. It is amazing that it is still legal to sell the stuff.

I live in Kansas City, which I believe is almost the same as St.L, insofar as growing is concerned. I bought my home almost 3 yrs. ago. There is an extremely established Trumpet Vine in my yard, and I despise it. I pull, dig and even sprayed (once) to no avail. It grows like crazy, sending shoots under my driveway. I would strongly suggest something less invasive for your trellis. Cardinal Climber is a nice hummingbird companion, and since it is annual here, you can have the quick growing results without the stress you will surely experience for years to come from the Trumpet vine. Believe me, in a few years, you will rue the day you planted the Trumpet Vine.

I was thinking of planting one to. Can you embed a fairly large pot to where only the rim of the pot is showing? Would that tame the roots to a point where you would only have to worry about the seeds? I know this is probably a stupid question as I've never gardened before. C Smith

hi, this may sound silly but can the vine be controlled if it is kept in a large pot? i live in ohio and i bought a samlon reddish trumpet vine.. what do you sugest? i live in town so i thought a large pot with a heavy duty trellis would work

I agree with just about everything bad said here about trumpet vines. Very invasive. Wouldn't have (another) one.

Rose of Sharon is a very nice shrub for my area and does not come up wild here, but other people on the GardenWeb have written about having problems with it.

Good luck

I am one of those people that love so-called 'invasives' like honeysuckle, mint, rose of sharon, mimosa, mulberry, ivy, roadside daylily, etc. They are all easy to control here in the Ozarks if you just hack them back where you don't want them - they are always healthy and vigorous and beautiful.
But...I have just about been defeated by trumpet vine. It is beyond invasive. My kids and I have decided it actually tries to murder the other plants around it - it ties them up and pulls them down under all its beautiful, healthy foliage. I have spent hours freeing my formerly big beautiful honeysuckle vine, and young rose of sharon trees from its death-grip. It literally bends them up into a bundle at its feet...I just can't tell you...
It also spreads more prolifically than just about anything else - at least equal to mimosa and mulberry, way beyond honeysuckle. I really don't know if it is worth it to grow this thing. I inherited this one, but I DEFINITELY wouldn't plant it. It does bring hummingbirds, though.
Also - it lets out some kind of poison when you pull it or chop it. I keep getting a sore throat and cough every time I attack it. Does anyone else have this problem?

Trumpet vine, aack. We have several places around our house where a trumpet vine is climbing the siding and digging under the eaves. What a nightmare. I don't mind it back on our brush pile  it camouflages it a bit  but the darn thing spreads EVERYWHERE. The ones next to the house have to go!

As for Rose of Sharon  I have one growing in a bed where I don't want it, and I'd like to move it to a new location. I figured I'd place it in a place all its own, in an "island-type" bed, so that I can mow closely around it as needed. The flowers are so gorgeous! We've got one with white flowers, and one with lavender; both traveled over to our yard from the neighbors all on their own. The neighbors apologized, but I don't mind  as long as the plants are under control.

Mulberry, now that's a whole different thing. We're going to have to take a backhoe to ours. Stupid thing just won't die! (grumble)

There are sterile types of rose of sharon. Mostly the double ones, I think.

In my experience trumpet vine is terribly invasive. Almost never got rid of it in the lawn of a house we purchased new. It was just wild and was SO invasive. Be careful!

Can't say anything about trumpet vines as I have never had one and after reading all these posts, don't think I ever will! :)

I have had R O S for many years and have not found them to be invasive at all. Guess I'm lucky. I really love their flowers. I planted 6 of them at our old house about 15 yrs. ago and just drove by there a few weeks ago and they are at least 15 feet tall. I have two planted now that have been in the ground about 3 years and they're close to 5 feet tall now. I love them.

I also started out with two very small Rose of Sharon bushes, purple and white, about 20 years ago... I now have a couple of hundred from 2 inches to 10 feet, from white to purple and everything in between, including the most beautiful pink I have ever seen in any flower... The seeds, most definitely, are a problem but I've found that if you cut the seeds off before they completely mature it does cut down on the ones you have to mow over, use the hoe on or pull out... I usually trim the bushes every fall and try to get all the seeds... I wouldn't plant one anywhere I can't use my hula-hoe... And yes there are sterile types but you're stuck with the colors you start with... LOL

Rita

Listen to your mother, she is a wise and smart woman!

They can spread their seed to areas that you will not even see.

I have double Rose of Sharon in white, mauve and pink. They also come in a lavendar. Mine do not have seeds, but are easy to root if you want more.
I agree with most--I hate trumpet vine. They were growing high in our oak trees, so I cut the stem. The ones in the tree died, but they are coming up all over the yard from the roots. I have tried everything to kill them--yes-even brush killer. It will kill the leaves, but they come right back up.They are EVERYWHERE!

Yikes, I just planted three beautiful clematis along our fence and our neighbour has a trumpet vine in between them. From what I have read, this doesn't sound good.

Please heed all this advice and don't plant the trumpet vine. It might attract hummers, but it also attracts every insect in a 10 mile radius, wasps, ants and a million other ones I can't name. The flowers fall all over the place. And you'll find volunteers all over the place.
My neighbour had it on her side when we put our new fence up 2 yrs ago. For the first year it was all right, but this year it has totally taken over. It's coming up all through my flower beds.
I'll be spending the next few years of my life trying to eradicate it. I'm praying I convince my neighbour to join in the battle and pull hers out.
Another word of caution, it can get quite heavy and start dragging down trellis, fence ect.

I wouldn't worry with the trumpet vine since they can be so invasive. I have one but it's waaaaay out on the barbed wire fence near the road.

I love my Rose of Sharon shrubs. And so do the birds, butterflies, and hummers. We do have a few babies come up but we have enough room to just keep planting. I also give the tiny ones to my family members. I have beautiful white and lavendar.

Dancey

This board has been very helpful! I was mowing the yard for the first time this season and was suprised to find about 50 ROS volunteers poking out of the ground... I transplanted 5 of them, and now that I know that yes I do indeed have the self sowing kind I will have many more to come.. I love their color, and blooming season.. I will be transplanting more of them along my fence line tonight!

I also have a trumpet vine along my back fence that I have no idea how it got there.. I bought my house 3 years ago, and put the fence up new. (It borders an alley) So far this spring I have sprayed roundup brushkiller on the entire back fenceline (both sides) the ivy and what I'm SURE is the trumpet vine are still going like gangbusters, even though the pig weed on the alley side is now gratefully dead.... now that I know the trumpet vine is not going anywhere I may just let it go and enjoy its beautiful orange flowers.

So does the trumpet vine spread by seed or root nodes? I just bought one for my mother and haven't planted it yet. Will definately plant in a container after having read about it's invasive nature. I may just smother the thing if I find out that the seeds will spread it.

ROS - GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

I actually do like them, and I deadhead mine and keep it well behaved. My neighbor on the other hand should be banned from growing anything and everything.

He grows roses. But God forbid he knew how to prune those things! But that's another horror story...

He grows a ROS. Only a chain link fence separates my veggie bed from his blasted ROS. It's unruly. It's ugly/misshapen. It has hundreds of seed pods. I've tried to tell him that he needs to prune it. I've told him that those seed pods need to be removed. I've butchered each and every piece that dares to creep over my veggie bed through the fence. I've pruned it as much as I could from my side. I've removed as many seedpods that I could reach. There's just soooooo many.

So, once again, I'll be removing hundreds, if not thousands, of seedlings. I'm already off to a good start, but dreading all of the seedlings I'll encounter from now until frost. I've even removed some of the larger seedlings that I can pull through the fence.

Then the whole me-pruning and removing spent pods cycle will start all over again.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr...

We just planted Silver Lace, Trumpet, and Boston Ivy Vines...we are wondering how much we can or can't trim back in the Spring? We are in Southwestern Ontario....

That's really bad news. I just planted trumpet vine last season not realizing it was so invasive. I've seen it around town and admired it's beauty. We have a telephone pole right next to our house. I figured it would be the perfect thing to cover the pole and attract hummingbirds. But now it seems like I should move it.

I read this thread and have seen the question asked many times but no one has answered it. What if I plant the vine in a container and bury the container in the ground. That should do away with the sucker problem. How much of a problem is the reseeding aspect?

Then again, the pole is next to my house and my cutting garden, it might just have to go.

Too bad, too. It's a beautiful plant.

btw, I love my Rose of Sharron and welcome the volunteers that I get and don't mow over.

I have been given about 10 young ROS plants. I have no idea where to put them. I have about 1/2 acre and only two trees in the front. We do not have a fence. I don't think I should plant next to a neighbor's fence. I have been wanting to put these out as a memorial to my sister, Sharon. But I want to make sure I pick a good place. Any ideas?

on my aunt's farm she had a 6' chicken wire fence to keep the chickens out of the house yard. she had Honeysuckle on part of that fence and it attracted Hummingbirds and bees. it is a much more delicate plant that emits a honey like smell. as i remember there were no shots and it stayed on the fence. Honeysuckle is a perennial.

WiringMan

I'm confused about what "invasive" means. This is a native plant, at least in much of the eastern U.S. Can a native plant be considered "invasive" in its home range? What keeps the trumpet vine from overpowering everything in its home range, like kudzu has done? Or does "invasive" mean only outside its home range, like here in Oregon where it is not native? I'm genuinely puzzled.

Sad to hear all the griping about trumpet vine. Here in Albuquerque we have a silver bullet if we want to get rid of it--stop watering. Our annual rainfall is a good enough control mechanism to happily enjoy the trumpet vine without worrying about having to prune and pull all summer long...

DO NOT PLANT !!! The plant broke through my 4" thick asphalt driveway in several places. No matter what I do it continues to grow. I've taken every bit of advice and it is destroying my garden and driveway. DO NOT PLANT !!! Anyone having any advice to winning this battle, please respond. If you don't believe how horrible this nightmare is, please write and I'll show you pictures of my yard completely dug up with roots everywhere.

the flower from rose of sharon is beautiful but my neighbor Monique is lazy and does not dead head hers, it spreads everywhere even her own lawn has about 900 seedlings in that area,and they do not care. They are inconsiderate. I had to pull 275 shoots from my grass and now they planted them along the fenceline...I'm sure i will have at least 700 to pull next season. Nothing you spray on them make them die..The seedpods are still there from last year and they dont trim them either. They also have a birch tree that spews seed pods for months clogging my pool, gutters, and branches fall continuously all season long from those trees.I have pulled tons of seedling trees from that as well in my landscape, very invasive! If it was the other way around she would be going ballistic! May the wind blow their way and have them have to clean up after their own problems. Plenty of other plants to plant but they are wealthy and very very cheap.

My neighbor has had a trumpet vine growing over their garage which is on the property line. They just cut it down. I have a large beautiful garden which is now overrun with the runners of this devil plant. It's in all my flower beds. It grows in my decorative grasses so I'll spend this summer digging up my perennials to remove the runners and then have to replant everything all over again. NEVER PLANT A TRUMPET VINE!

I have a trumpet vine at each end of my yard and they are just gorgeous. They grow very vigorously but don't spread and I've had no 'volunteers' in other places. My only comment is that one of these vines has gorgeous vibrant red flowers and on the same stem bright purple ones as well. No one - including several garden professionals - has ever seen anything like it.

If you have an out building that needs to be tore down and you are to lazy to do it you plant a trumpet vine on it. Otherwise avoid it.

A trumpet vine to hold behind my yews, by the time I found, I have a never ending job to rid the stuff from my house. Will never have another.

If it has not been said firmly enough I'd say it again. NO TRUMPET vine!.
When I used t sponsor seed swaps I always trashed any trumpet vine seeds. The roots seem to be able to travel very long distances and push up even through paving.