Southern Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Campsis radicans (L.) Seem.
- Family: Trumpet Creeper (Bignoniaceae)
- Flowering: May-September
- Field Marks: This is the only woody vine that has opposite, pinnately compound leaves and large, red, trumpet-shaped flowers.
- Habitat: From wet areas to upland moist sites; moist woods, swampy woods, thickets, old fields, fencerows, roadsides.
- Habit: Often high-climbing woody vine, sometimes sprawling where there is nothing to climb on.
- Stems: Becoming woody, smooth, without tendrils but bearing aerial roots.
- Leaves: Opposite, compound, with 7-11 leaflets; each leaflet ovate to lanceolate, pointed at the tip, tapering to the base, sharply toothed along the edges, smooth, up to 3 inches long, usually much shorter.
- Flowers: 2-9 in a cluster, red-orange to red, trumpet-shaped.
- Sepals: 5-lobed, tubular below, green, smooth, 1/2-3/4 inch long.
- Petals: 5-lobed, tubular below, red-orange to red, up to 4 inches long.
- Stamens: 4, not exserted beyond the tubular petals.
- Pistils: Ovary superior.
- Fruits: Capsules somewhat woody, elongated, tapering to either end, smooth, up to 6 inches long, containing 2 rows of seeds; seeds flat, winged on each side, about 3/4 inch long.
- Notes: The beautiful flowers make the trumpet creeper a popular ornamental. The flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds.
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