Plants: Campsis radicans 'Flamenco' - trumpet creeper

Trumpet creepers are gorgeous things in summer gardens, on patios, or climbing up walls, gazebos or fences. They are fast and vigorously growing vines that can create a dense coverage of bright green foliage with profusion of flowers within only a few years.

If you like red flowers in summer, Flamenco variety of north-american trumpet creeper is a perfect choice. It bears plentiful of trumpet shaped, up to 7 cm long flowers with yellow throats and red veins. They are formed at the ends of current year's branches in rich umbels. Pinnate leaves are large, deciduous, deep green and rather exotic looking. They may gain burgundy red margins and shades throughout the season. Trumpet creeper bursts into buds quite late – in April. On the contrary its flowering lasts from early July until first frosts when fully established.

For profusion of flowers it needs to be pruned every spring after the worst frosts (end March). Cut all last year’s branches to 2-3 pairs of live buds. Trumpet creeper flowers on new shoots so the more shoots you have the more flowers you get. Though it makes a lot of aerial roots it needs a little bit of help tying up the first branches to its support as it cannot twine around it like wisteria for example.

Trumpet creepers need limey soil and a warm and sunny spot. Its root system can accept temporary drought and extra watering is desirable only maximum once a week. It grows vigorously and makes deep roots. However, our plants proved to be alright in limited space – 30x50 cm, 40 cm deep. Fully hardy to -29°C (USDA zone 5), possibly more.

Size/type: vine
Usual height: 3-6m
Usual width: 1-2m
Leaves: deciduous broadleaf
Colour of leaves: green
Flowers: showy
Colour of flowers: red
Blooming time: july - september
Location: full sun
Belongs to categories: deciduous broadleaf, summer blooms