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Species Native to Missouri
Common Name: cross vine
Type: Vine
Family: Bignoniaceae
Zone: 5 to 9
Native Range: Southern Ontario, eastern United States
Height: 35 to 50 feet
Spread: 6 to 9 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: Orange-red
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium
Flowers: Showy Flowers, Fragrant Flowers
Wildlife: Attracts Hummingbirds
Tolerates: Dense Shade
Culture
Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates full shade, but best flower production occurs in sun. Prune after flowering if needed. Above ground stems are not reliably winter hardy throughout USDA Zone 5 where they may die to the ground in severe winters (roots are usually hardy therein and will sprout new growth the following spring). In St. Louis, it is best to plant this vine in a protected location and apply a winter mulch. Established plants may send up root suckers which should be removed if spread is not desired.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Cross vine is a vigorous, semi-evergreen, woody vine which climbs by tendrils. It is grown primarily for its orange-red, trumpet-shaped spring flowers and for its ability to rapidly cover structures with attractive foliage. It is a Missouri native vine which occurs in low woods and swamps in the far southeastern corner of the State. In the wild, it typically grows 35-50' (less frequently to 70') and is often found climbing up the trunks of tall trees or sprawling along the ground. In cultivation, it usually grows shorter. Opposite, compound leaves are bifoliate: each leaf consists of a pair of lanceolate to oblong, dark green leaflets (to 6" long) and a branched tendril between them. Foliage remains evergreen in the South, but turns reddish-purple in fall with subsequent leaf drop in the coldest areas of its range. Axillary clusters (2-5 flowered cymes) of fragrant, trumpet-shaped, orange-red flowers (to 2" long) appear in spring. Flowers are followed by greenish, pod-like seed capsules (to 7" long) which mature in late summer and persist into fall. A cross section of stem reveals a marking resembling the Greek cross, hence the common name. In the same family as and closely related to Campsis radicans which is commonly known as trumpet vine.
Garden Uses
Cover for fences, arbors, walls, pillars or large trellises.