Trumpet Vines

[Ravyn95]

[align=left]I have an arbor in front of my house which currently has climbing roses on it. They've never done very well so I was going to tear them out and plant a trumpet vine. A twofold reason for this...to cover my arbor and to make my hummers happy (I have two that I know of). However, a friend advised against doing this, saying that the trumpet vine would soon take over my garden beds and be a living hell to get rid of. Is she right about this?[/align]


[align=left]I also thought about honeysuckle for the same reasons but have also heard the same horror stories about this plant as well. Am I asking for trouble by wanting to cover my arbor and make my hummers happy? If so, can anyone suggest any alternatives?[/align]


[align=left]I live in South Central PA zone 6b.* I will also be posting this on the vines forum.[/align]

[Newt]

Hi Ravyn,

You should thank your neighbor and hug them for their wonderful advice.***:dude:* Just do a google search with the term:
Newt + trumpet vine and you'll read the nightmare I lived through with this vine.

Honeysuckle can also be a nightmare if you plant the wrong species.* Lonicera japonica aka Japanese honeysuckle aka Hall's honeysuckle aka Lonicera purpurea aka purple honeysuckle is the non-native invasive. It's the cream and yellowish fragrant one that grows wild and chokes out all other native plants.

There are some wonderful native honeysuckles that won't overtake your garden or the environment.* The native Lonicera sempervirens is what I have planted and is native to the eastern US.* I have two different named varieties and my hummers love it.* I do too. It blooms on and off in my zone 7 garden from the end of May until hard frost.* The birds also eat the berries and I've even had birds build a nest in it.* I also have a native yellow one (L. sempervirens 'John Clayton') but the hummers don't seem to like it as much.* Some of my favorite ones are:
Lonicera sempervirens
http://www.mobot.org/gardinghelp/pla....asp?code=D990

Lonicera sempervirens 'Blanche Sandman' is one I grow.
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/p....asp?code=B934
http://www.missouriplants.com/Redopp...rens_page.html

Lonicera sempervirens 'Alabama Crimson'
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/p....asp?code=B913

More named varieties at the bottom of the page.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/c...pervirens.html
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/l/lonsem/lonsem1.html

Newt