Backyard Nature Wednesday: Crossvine

Crossvine is a native perennial vine that is a member of the trumpet-creeper family (Bignoniaceae). It grows in the woods in many of the eastern parts of the United States, including in east Texas and occasionally to westernmost central Texas. It is a robust woody vine that can climb up to 50 feet due to its tendrils which have claws at the tips, enabling the vine to catch and hold on.

In the spring, it produces masses of brilliant flowers in shades of orange. The leaves are glossy dark green in summer and turn reddish after frost. In areas of mild winters, such as southeast Texas, the vines keep their leaves through winter and once the weather warms up it is ready to grow and produce flowers.

Like many native plants, this one has been cultivated by horticulturists and new varieties created. I grow one of them in my backyard.

This is 'Tangerine Beauty' and it is well-named for it is a beauty, and, at this time of year, the vine is completely covered in these blossoms.

Native Americans historically found many medicinal uses for crossvine. They used it as a remedy for diphtheria, edema, headaches, and rheumatism. Today, we grow it just for its beauty or to provide shade when planted on an arbor. It is also very attractive to hummingbirds and various pollinators.

This is a great plant with many useful and beautiful qualities. If there is any downside to it, it is simply that it may be too robust for the space allotted to it in the garden. It grows rampantly and creates suckers that may encroach outside of where the gardener wants it to grow, but these are easily pulled up to keep the plants in bounds.

Winter in the garden

Winter officially begins in a couple of days as the sun hides its face from us on the shortest day of the year. But unofficially, it began here a couple of weeks ago with our first severe freeze. We don't often get temperatures that flirt with the teens here on the Gulf Coast, and so that event was a shock to the systems of both gardens and gardeners.

Walking around my garden today, I was again surprised at the extent of the damage. Most of my plants are natives, or they are tried and true old Southern stand-bys like crinums. They will be back. But I had succumbed to the temptation to add some more tropical plants this year. Many gardeners in the Houston area grow them successfully, but I'm a bit farther north and the micro-climate of my yard is a bit chillier at this time of year than many of those who treasure and baby their tropical plants.

I don't baby my plants. I'm much too lazy a gardener for that. So this season has already been a revelation to me - even though it hasn't officially begun yet. That revelation is: Stick to native plants! They are tough and they know how to survive these little unexpected blips in our usually warm (or hot) climate.

In recent years, winter has barely even touched us here and perhaps we have been lulled into a false sense of security. But Mother Nature still has the capacity to surprise us. As I look at those sumptous tropical plants offered by local nurseries next spring, I'll try to remember that.