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June 27, 2021
We're reaching into the archives for today's #BenInNature update presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust! The following post was originally published on July 6, 2020.
With its bright red horn-shaped flowers, trumpet vine (Campsis radicans) is easy to spot. This showy vine is native to the eastern U.S., but it has also been naturalized in the western part of the country.
Trumpet vine is popular with gardeners since it's easy to grow and attracts hummingbirds. It doesn't need a great deal of water or particularly fertile soil to thrive, and it will send out dozens of tendrils that grab onto any available surface, making it easy to shape.
Of course, if you're a regular reader of these nature updates, you probably already see the downside coming: if something is easy to grow, it's also hard to kill, and trumpet vine can quickly overwhelm and strangle the other plants in your garden. If you decide to grow trumpet vine, be aware that it requires vigilant pruning. Outside of its native range, trumpet vine has the potential to be an invasive species. While it's a lot more attractive than kudzu, keeping trumpet vine in your garden may not be worth the risk.
ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com).
NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!
