// SPECIES PROFILE · VINE · NATIVE

Crossvine

Bignonia capreolata

Crossvine bursts into bloom in April with masses of 2-inch tubular orange-red flowers timed perfectly for the hummingbird migration — and the leaves stay semi-evergreen through Oklahoma winters, screening fences and arbors year-round.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Bignoniaceae
Group: vine
Native range: SE US incl. eastern OK
USDA hardiness: Zones 6–9
Mature size: 30–50 ft (vine)
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Adaptable
Wildlife value: Tubular orange-red flowers feed migrating ruby-throated hummingbirds
Ecological role: native vine · early spring trumpet flowers · evergreen

Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) — *Bignonia capreolata*. Photo via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Climbs by tendrils with adhesive pads — won't damage masonry like English ivy. Cut a cross-section of the woody stem and you'll see a four-armed pith pattern that names the species. Far better behaved than its rampant cousin trumpet creeper.

Why it's on this list: native vine · early spring trumpet flowers · evergreen. Part of Rooted Revival's NE Oklahoma plant catalog — natives, ecologically positive non-invasive cultivars, and food crops worth growing in the Tulsa region.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a shaded woodland understory, crossvine pairs naturally with: american hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), american beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), american alumroot (Heuchera americana), inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), and black cherry (Prunus serotina).

Train crossvine onto a sturdy host such as a hedgerow shrub or arbor; combine with low groundcovers below.

Photo Reference

// Bignonia capreolata — cross vine
Photo: jchavran (iNaturalist, CC-BY-NC)