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Trumpet Vines

i have a trumpet vine and it is very healthy but i can not get any flowers on it. Is it possible that it is not getting enough sun? If anyone has any ideas as to why this is happening, please email me.

Comments (54)

  • Dale Hrncirik - 8a
    24 years ago

    Beth,

    It's possible to start them from clippings but probably not the easiest method. Look around the base of the plant and you should undoubtedly find some small plants shooting up from the root system of the mother plant. Carefully dig up and try to keep as much soil around the roots as possible. Put in a 1 gallon pot with good draining soil and add a little root stimulator(phosphorus) and baby it till the fall, which is a good time to plant it in a permanent place out of harms way. Just remember the potential aggressive tendencies of this vine. Good luck,

    Dale

  • Lidda
    24 years ago

    I've moved into a home with an established trumpet vine out
    back. Not only do I have the main vine, there are smaller
    vines popping up everywhere. This vine has orange
    flowers...maybe it is a wild variety? Anyway, how do I
    control these new shoots? The whole of the yard will be
    overtaken soon. Cutting them does not stop them. Help!
    Choke...choke...

  • Mike
    24 years ago

    I have a trumpet vine which is eating my house. Last year I
    cut it down to the tree sized trunk only to have dozens of
    shoots start popping up from the soil everywhere in the garden near the house. How do I kill this thing?

  • Brenda - 5
    24 years ago

    Mike,

    The only way to kill trumpet vine is to use brush killer.

    The vine can be beautiful but can be invasive and if planned near your house or garage, can really cause problems.

  • Vicki
    24 years ago

    For those of you with the trumpet vines sprouting up everywhere - I had the same problem. Never plant a trumpet vine anywhere you don't want sprouts everywhere. The best solution I have found is to get a bottle of concentrated Weed-be-gone, Roundup or similar weed killer. Cut off each plant or sprout, leaving the stem sticking up an inch or so. Take a q-tip, cotton ball, rag or other absorbant and dab the concentrated weed killer on the exposed freshly cut stem. (Wear gloves and do not spill!) If you keep this up religiously it will eventually start slowing the plants down.

    This technique also works well to kill plants that are mixed in with plants you don't want to kill, such as mulberry trees and wild clematis sprouting up in a hedgerow.

  • Carol - Pa.
    24 years ago

    I have just received two pods with Trumpet Vine seeds.
    I live in northeastern Pennsylvania.
    When is the best time to plant the seeds.
    Do I have to allow the seeds to dry out.
    Please email you response.
    Thanks
    Carol

  • Andrea Spence - 5
    24 years ago

    I would like to know if it is possible to grow trumpet vines from seed, and if so how?

  • Lois - 7
    24 years ago

    My trumpet vines are about 5 years old and have never bloomed. They are in full sun, very healthy. I cut them back in early winter to force them to flower--still no luck. I am not over fertilizing them--the soil is good. What else could be wrong? Thanks for your help.

  • renee - michigan
    23 years ago

    need help- Just bought a trumpet vine this spring and planted it. it gets partial shade 80% shade . Leaves are falling off. Whats up with this plant? should i move it?
    It has been getting rainwater. So i know thats not the problem. Please help save my vine! Also should i fertilize with something special?

  • Rhonda Jeannette 8
    22 years ago

    A friend has had a trumpet vine for a few years, winding
    up a lamppost. She has not been able to get it to bloom.
    Are there specific things she should be doing to force the
    blooming? It has new growth on it every year and they only
    prune the top; the stems are very woody. Any suggestions
    would be greatly appreciated.

  • sheila
    22 years ago

    I have a trumpet vine that has been planted for 3 years. I would like to move it to a new spot. Is there any special care needed in doing this? Is there a specific time that is better to do this or other special instructions?
    Thanks. Sheila

  • John MO 5/6
    22 years ago

    Sheila,

    I planted a trumpet creeper two summers ago. It didn't bloom the first year, but it grew abundantly. After reading how aggressive this species is, I got nervous and dug it up last year and replaced it with a native clematis. This plant didn't bloom the first year, either, but it seemed to be coming on strong this spring -- until I looked closer and saw that 90% of the foliage was trumpet creeper!

    My point is, I wouldn't worry too much about transplanting your trumpet creeper successfully. If you don't grub out ALL the creeper roots, you will probably end up with two healthy plants!

  • Sandy W
    22 years ago

    I think it's irresponsible for a well known nursery to sell you a trumpet vine and not tell you how invasive they can be. Unfortumately I planted one next to my house and along a fence that connects to other property fences. It's eaten my house and is heading for the neighbors! HELP! How can I get rid of this thing before someone elses house is eaten. Does Round up work if you can't find all the shoots or do you have to get every spot that it comes up. Any other ideas. I'm very sorry I bought this thing though it flowers like crazy.

  • JK 8
    22 years ago

    You might try a cut stem treatment, it should work well with minimal amount of herbicide use. Dab full strength product on the freshly cut stem.

  • nancyk4
    21 years ago

    I have a trumpet vine this is pretty old, over 5 years and it has never blossomed. It gets full sun, I prune vigorously. Any other ideas?

    Thanks.

  • jillhudock
    21 years ago

    Depending on your region, this may be an invasive vine. I know that at one of the local arboretums (sp?) they are ripping it out (zone 7 near philadelphia) because it is pushing out native plants on woodland edges and around railroad tracks.

    Just a caution.

  • Furpaws
    21 years ago

    Nancy, prune your trumpet vine by cutting back the long side shoots very early in the spring before the leaves emerge, thus encouraging new growth. Trumpet vine blooms on new growth.

  • johnny46
    21 years ago

    I live in central michigan and wondering if trumpet vine is invasive to this area. I have not noticed it growing out of control here or heard of anyone saying it has like some others like autumn olive which is becoming more of a concern.

  • apcohrs
    21 years ago

    It is native to much of the US. I don't know if it is native to your area, but I suspect it is.

    If it is, it can NOT be considered an invasive, noxious, alien plant because it is already part of the local environment. That, however, does not mean it is well behaved in the garden, lol.

    Autumn olive is not native to the us and it has become established in uncultivated areas and displaces native species.

  • JAYK
    21 years ago

    If you are referring to Campsis radicans, it may be not native to central Michigan, but what is probably referred to on this thread is Campsis x tagliabuana 'Madame Galen', a cross of C. radicans and C. grandiflora, a chinese species, native to nowhere. Also, natives can be classified as invasive and noxious weeds, although their effect on natural plant communities is fundamentally different than non-natives.

  • johnny46
    21 years ago

    Thank you for your prompt replies. I will check out the species with our conservation district.

  • dandra_t
    20 years ago

    My trumpet vine is now 6 years old and I have never seen a flower. It was originally planted in full sun, looked healthy all summer but after 3 years never a bloom was had. I transplanted it to partial sun and it still looks healthy. Its leaves grow, it's sending trailers along the fence but still has not bloomed. I am on a hill with cool nights. Are they temperature fussy?
    Any information would be appreciated.

  • edwina47
    19 years ago

    My trumput vine is now in its third summer. I still have no blooms on it. It is planted in full sun. It has now doubled in size, but only 3 feet tall. Can someone tell me when I can expect blooms. I read somewhere that one should not fertilize it all all. Is this true?

  • rhoda_azalea
    19 years ago

    If your trumpet vine is not blooming it may be too fat, dumb, and happy. Trumpet vines bloom best on lean soil without additional fertilizer. Often, gardeners plant their trumpet vines in rich loam and apply fertilizer. Then the vine has no incentive to bloom.

    If this is the case with an individual vine then moving it to a site with less than average soil should solve the problem.

    Rhoda

  • Vera_EWASH
    19 years ago

    There are Trumpet Vines on campus growing that have bloomed every year that I've been there (96-98 and 2004-2005). I'm in the Hort program this time around and I know for fact they have never fertilized them...the soil is lean.

    Vera

  • led_zep_rules
    19 years ago

    To make your trumpet vines bloom - threaten it! I know this is odd, but I had one for years also, in a sunny spot in good dirt, never any flowers. Finally one year I threatened it, I said if you don't bloom I am going to kill you. It bloomed every year after that . . .

    Can't explain why it worked but it did. :-)

  • Dreamz64
    18 years ago

    I have a arbor seat in my garden and last year planted a trumpet vine on each side of it. It did great and filled in nicely even though I got no flowers.

    However this year, being the first year with it being a returning plant, I am not sure what to look for, or how to manage it. So far I have just a few buds near the base of the plants and nothing but dead looking runners every place else. Do I need to cut these back or wait it out a bit longer? Do leaves start only at the base each year or also on the existing runners from last year?

  • Candacezn5
    18 years ago

    be patient. most of those dead runners will come back. some won't and you can cut those off later when it is easier to tell. If your spring is anything like ours in Chicago it will be awhile before things start to happen.

  • efrosty1
    18 years ago

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

  • reddirt
    18 years ago

    i think the best way to get your trumpet vine to bloom is to hack it severely. act like you want to kill it (mildly), starve it (no fertilizer), and ignore it. it will flower profusely.

  • kuhl
    18 years ago

    my trumpet vines are huge. I cut them back whenever they need to be, and they keep coming (3- 5 times a season). I love the fact they draw humming birds, but they are difficult to control in my yard. I pull them up and they just keep coming back for more. I have heard weed killer wiped on the unwanted branches should work to control, but I haven't tried yet.

  • reginacw
    18 years ago

    I am ripping out my trumpet vine this year. Seven years old and at least 25 feet high and still no blooms. I promised it this spring that if it didn't bloom it was a goner, and so it shall be.

    Maybe my neighbor can make it bloom.

  • SunnySmiles51
    18 years ago

    I planted my Orange and Yellow Trumpet Vine, 3 feet tall when it was in full bloom and about in a spot where it faced north and had full sun most of the day.
    They had to have kept it pinched to keep it that small and in full bloom.
    The next year it was 6 feet with no blooms so I decided to move it across from the spot where it was, trellis and all.
    This spot faced south. I watered heavy and chopped the you know what out of it, about 2 feet all over every tip in the early spring and it is finally starting to bloom and going into the 3rd year I will trim more and then pinch and I think this is the ticket.
    I have lots of root cuttings if anyone wants any. Best way to start them is to lay root cuttings in soil tray or pot that are pencil thick and as long as you want and cover with 2 inches of soil, water and keep in shade till new shoots show. It will thrive and plant where you like.
    Sunny

  • highlandsgardener
    18 years ago

    I read all the postings re the invasive qualities of the trumpet vine and decided I didn't want my house or greenhouse eaten. I hacked 3 yellow-flowered varieties down to about five feet. Lo and behold, I found a praying mantis egg case attached to a vine that made it up over the roof. What a wonderful find! I put the egg case in our "greenhouse". We put a Lexan roof up between the house and the garage and enclose the space with greenhouse plastic in winter and run a heater, keeping it at about 50 degrees. Will the case hatch under those conditions? Any advice I can get will be appreciated.

  • carnivorous23
    17 years ago

    From what I've heard, the biggest determining factors in how invasive it is are light and soil.

    Trumpet vine hates thick, clay, badly drained soil. In sand, or looser soil, it's a monstrous weed if it gets enough light. The really odd thing is there doesn't seem to be much of a middle range - it usually ends up being either invasive or very sickly.

  • tjglennon
    17 years ago

    I have four mature trumpet vines along the fence in my back yard and I love them. They bloom all summer long and the birds and bees love them as well. Now, however, some of the leaves are turning yellow. Why is that and what can I do to correct the problem?

  • judyfurlow
    17 years ago

    I too planted a yellow-trumpet vine in my back yard to attract hummers. And it did, but it also took over my yard and sprouted up in my neighbors yard via tubers. I have cut it all back and pulled up the main trunk of the vine and sprayed it with Round Up. HOWEVER, this thing will not die. Any tubers that extended from the main trunk have sprouted up throughout my yard. Also, any small section of root will sprout new growth!!! Round Up did not work after several applications. Currently, I am on a seek and destroy mission to pull up and tuber that I can find.

    I have replaced it with the native Coral Honeysuckle, I live in Maryland and it is native to Mid-Atlantic states.

    My trumpet vine did bloom very well. Cut it back before the following spring, all of it and it will grow like crazy. I have clay soil and this thing took off. I never fertilized it, except with some dog poop. Barely watered it and planted it in full sun. This vine is 3-years old and the trunk sprouted more shoots every year. Now it's torn up and still sprouting shoots like crazy.

    Stick to your native species, the yellow-trumpet vine can take care of itself.

  • suzi_seeder ? Baltmore, MD
    17 years ago

    I have several wild vines, some bloom and some don't. i think it takes a few years. BUT, the cool thing is, i got one to grow like a tree. I just kept one main vine as the "trunk" and allowed it to grow up a chicken wire fence post. i found a shovel head (where i live used to be a dump site) and stuck that on top of the post. the vine has enveloped the entire structure and has become tree-like! i'm an avid pruner and cut the heck out of it each year, but, otherwise, ignore it.

    my question: i have LOTS of seed pods and would like to try and grow some from seed... but would most likely do it in a pot to prevent spreading (i want to do this sort of near my home. Can this be done?

    My next question: i had tremendous success with a moon flower plant and would like to plant these two vines together... kind of an orange and white combo.

    Any thoughts?

  • froggy
    17 years ago

    jeeze, see how nasty this 'weed' is? its so bad, it even suckers up e-suckers ... http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/prairie/msg0609184714731.html?71

    froggy

  • debrouse
    17 years ago

    I actually found a product called Vine-X that will actually kill trumpet vine. I was sceptical but desparate since I HATED the suckers sent up throughout my yard and bedding. I tried other web suggestions (including soaking suckers in pure RoundUp with no success - I actually believe it LIKES RoundUp). Figured I had nothing to lose by ordering this and trying it. I had a large stem (about 2 inches in diameter) so I ordered the large stem version. None of my local garden stores carried it so I ordered it via the net (www.vine-x.com). I applied it twice, about 10 days apart. I expected to have to apply again in spring (since I previously applied it during a dormant season)but so far, so good. No growth and no suckers. Not sure if it would work for everyone but it worked wonders for me.

  • mollyb_2007
    16 years ago

    O.k,
    That gave me a glimps of hope.I'm going to order Vine-X,and see if it really works.Thanks for sharing that!I want my yard back so bad.

  • farleydesign 5
    16 years ago

    I love my trumpet vine (about 3 years old and blooming well) but this year a lot of its leaves look funky. They are curling and bumpy/spotty. I must say that it is still blooming and seems to be doing fine...Any ideas

  • Connie 5
    15 years ago

    To stop the vine from suckering about in the dirt -- I just take a long spade and when I clean up around the mulch and the area it's in, use the spade to as a barrier by pushing it into the ground in a complete circle about 3 feet from the bottom of the vine. This keeps the area free of suckers and it is not hurting the bloom or growth at all... The whole thing is contained and I get a bit of exercise --

  • sanduiche
    14 years ago

    I have a red trumpet vine that is situated in full to part sun. It has grown very lush and green and I waited for 2 years to bloom. I gave it Miracle Gro- still no blooms, until I switched to Bloom Booster by Miracle Gro last year. I had tons of blooms!! I don't water it much and have found, with the exception of the occasional feeding, that ignoring it has worked best!! Someone did vocally threaten to pull up their trumpet vine (within "hearing" range of the vine) and voila! It bloomed!!

  • katofpa
    14 years ago

    My 15 year old vine is lovely but extremely invasive. I am eager to try Connie's method od digging a circle 2 feet deep. I will not use herbicides. My only regret is that I planted it too close to my house, patio and major garden. I think it should stand alone.

  • katofpa
    12 years ago

    I have a 15-year-old trumpet vine that I began weaving in its early years. The trunk is very lovely and twisted like a tree in a fairy tale. I have been giving it extreme pruning, but I think I went too far. This year I've only had a few flowers. I agree that it should be planted out standing alone. That way, the suckers that pop up fast and everywhere could be caught with the mower. I am constantly snapping off the sprouts. They are coming through the cracks in my patio. Next Spring, I intend to try the spade method that I recently heard about elsewhere, only I will try only 18" and 3' deep around the mother. My daughter "thinks" she wants one of my sprouts for her little yard, but I refuse to give her one. They are a nightmare near or in a garden or near a house or fence. Beware these beauties!

  • Roxsanne
    12 years ago

    Dear katofpa,
    "Don't kill yourself", It is 3 feet from the main trunk of the vine, not 3 feet deep. The depth only has to be the depth your spade can go. Relax, just a note. :0

  • lettamego
    9 years ago

    my neighbor has a nasty old trumpet vine growing near my house....about 10 feet from one corner ..
    it's all over my yard and is just horrible..... I can't grow anything in my yard because of her vine..
    Her property is concreted over....so I guess it has to go somewhere.
    I've been using a product made by Dow....on the suckers....
    I don't know if that's it..or not...but the big vine on her fence..is looking sick...Back in 2011 I cut it back on the fence ... and have kept it back by spraying what comes over or through the fence..
    Now she is suing me for $8,000 damages for maliciously poisoning her trumpet vine... I think maybe she thinks she steal some money ..and maybe she'd killing the vine herself.. I've been fighting it for year and years and I've never gotten anywhere... . do you think she can get by with this robbery?

  • dbarron
    9 years ago

    I think the law likely says that you have a right to not have her plantings on your property.

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