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Resources < Wildlife Habitats < Guide to Native Plants of Georgia for Wildlife < Bignonia capreolata
Crossvine has very unique foliage. The leaves are trifoliate, but there are only two smooth-edged, oblong leaflets; the third is modified into a slender, curling tendril, which the vine uses for climbing and clinging. The foliage sticks around all year, changing color from season to season. In spring it's chartreuse, in summer it's leathery and dark, and in winter it turns purple!
But of course, you won’t plant crossvine for its leaves; you’ll plant it for its beautiful flowers. These are shaped like small trumpets, with flared, scalloped ends, and they’re extremely abundant and showy—red-orange on the outside and yellow on the inside! They open in early spring, just as the ruby-throats are returning from their tropical wintering grounds. Nectar is scarce in the first weeks of the season (other early hummingbird plants include red buckeye and wild bleeding heart), so hungry hummers supplement their diets with tiny spiders, insects, and tree sap.
Bignoniaceae (Trumpet-creeper Family)
Semi-evergreen to evergreen woody vine with compound leaves composed of two oblong, 3-to-5-inch leaflets with a long slender tendril in between. Funnel-shaped red flowers bloom in spring. Maturing in summer, the fruits are long, flattened, bean-like pods filled with winged seeds. Cut the stem and you’ll see how crossvine gets its common name: The pith is cross-shaped.
10 to 20 feet is the norm; sometimes reaches 30 to 50 feet.
High-climbing, twining, clings by tendrils.
Fast.
Full sun to light shade.
Crossvine is tough and drought tolerant but makes its best growth in rich, moist soil. This vine is a fast grower, so you’ll probably have to prune it to keep it in bounds.
In spring, loads of yellow-throated red flowers attract hummingbirds. The handsome foliage is nearly evergreen.
Grow crossvine on a tree, trellis, fence, or wall; its delicate holdfasts won’t harm wood or masonry.
Flowers attract ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Found throughout Georgia in a variety of habitats, including floodplains, upland woods, and fencerows.
Seed (no pre-treatment is necessary), cuttings.
Photograph and text by Leslie Kimel, Georgia Wildlife Federation
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Crossvine
