Hummingbird vine5/17/2023 In fact, we once saw an ancient Trumpet Creeper vine that was ten inches in diameter- almost equal in size to the trunk of the tree holding it aloft. (Perhaps a better way to control it is to plant it along a fence and whack it back occasionally if it strays too far.) Using tiny aerial rootlets (left), the vine will climb vertical supports such as power poles and tall trees, eventually spreading its own green foliage in the canopy. It is rambunctious and can take over a corner of the yard in the course of a summer, but a little judicious pruning-sometimes reinforced with light touches of napalm-will always keep it in check. Indeed, Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans) is a much-maligned, under- appreciated, semi-woody vine that gardeners often avoid. Here at Hilton Pond Center we maintain a monstrous monoculture of Trumpet Creeper that serves as centerpiece for our hummingbird trapping area, but many folks shy away from this magnificent native plant because it grows so rapidly and, coincidentally, because it causes dermatitis in cattle (and some people)-hence the alternate name of "Cow Itch." The quoted price seems a little steep for Trumpet Creeper-a plant that can be found along nearly any country roadside in the eastern U.S.-but the description is accurate: It is a vine, and it is absolutely an amazing attractant for hummingbirds. That's the gist of a somewhat poetic ad that occasionally runs in tabloid magazine inserts that come with the Sunday paper. ![]() ![]() "Buy the amazing Hummingbird Vine, only $9.99." For more info, and especially if your group would like to host "Hummingbird Mornings" in 2002, click on the hummingbird drawing at left. In 2001, informative and entertaining hummingbird banding presentations were held at four Carolinas locations for more than 500 participants.
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