Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Trumpet It Does



Trumpet Vine, Campsis radicans, spotted growing on a dying maple. I never noticed it before, but the other day while waiting on a dryer at the laundromat, I saw through the window this intense scarlet across the intersection. It was afternoon, flowers glowing in the red wavelengths of late day sun. I photographed this the next morning, in the shade of the remaining strong branch of maple.

Trumpet Vine is one of those native non-natives. Its home region is in the southeastern states. It'll grow throughout the Northeast however, and certainly takes well to the heat of NYC. It's aggressive, can strangle other plants, and can take a hacking. This maple was already a goner, so its smothering act is well appreciated on this corner. Plant with yearly hacking in mind!

2 comments:

  1. We just planted a trumpet in a container on the deck. I'm hoping the container will rein it in a little. I wanted a climber but may have gotten more than I bargained for.

    Sorry to hear about the blight, but that "black" tomato looks great - I planted the Purple Cherokee variety this year that looks similar. A few fading tomatoes have already been pulled from my beds. Enjoy your harvests!

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  2. JGH,

    Thanks. I got two or three more Russians, and as I let them ripen, they get even darker on the inside, but medium gray/pink outside. Good luck with the trumpet.

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