Other Names:  Red Trumpet-Flower Vine

Description:

Beautiful clusters of purplish-red flowers on this vigorous climbing vine; foliage is evergreen in the south, but otherwise turns reddish purple in fall; the flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies; needs a sturdy structure for support

Ornamental Features

Red Cross Vine features showy red trumpet-shaped flowers along the branches from late spring to early summer, which emerge from distinctive dark red flower buds. It has dark green evergreen foliage. The glossy oval leaves turn burgundy in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Red Cross Vine is a multi-stemmed evergreen woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This woody vine will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Spreading

Red Cross Vine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Red Cross Vine will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.

This woody vine does best in full sun to partial shade. It is an amazingly adaptable plant, tolerating both dry conditions and even some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selection of a native North American species.