Trumpetcreeper

Trumpetcreeper (Campsis radicans)

Trumpet Vine, Cow Itch Vine

Full sun to light shade, moderately dry to medium moisture, tolerates clay, sand, and rocky soils, pH 5.5–7.5.

30–40 feet tall by clinging aerial rootlets; blooms July–September with 3-inch orange-red tubular flowers in terminal clusters; spreads aggressively by root suckers and self-seeding.

Propagation by stem cuttings in summer or root division in early spring.

Native region: Statewide in Tennessee, common in forest edges, disturbed ground, fence rows, and roadsides throughout Middle Tennessee.

Trumpetcreeper is one of the most drought-tolerant native vines in Middle Tennessee but its aggressiveness is frequently underestimated. Root suckers emerge 10–15 feet from the main stem and are difficult to eradicate once established — a particular problem along fence lines in Columbia-area yards where mowing misses the runners. The aerial rootlets penetrate mortar joints and can damage brick and wood siding; do not plant against house walls. Sap causes contact dermatitis in some individuals (hence "cow itch vine"). Despite the management demands, it is unmatched for late-summer hummingbird activity: ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) and Baltimore orioles (Icterus galbula) actively work the flowers. Plant on a heavy-gauge trellis or arbor well away from structures and mow the sucker perimeter twice per season.