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Bignoniaceae FAMILY

Campsis radicans

Campsis radicans

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

There have been isolated cases reported of people suffering from dermatitis after handling the leaves[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitDeciduous Climber
GrowthFast

A very ornamental plant[2], it is hardy to about -20°c when dormant according to some reports, though it requires hot summers if it is to grow really well and ripen is seed[3, 4, 5]. Another report says that the plant is not hardy in all parts of Britain, but that it succeeds outdoors in more open positions such as a pergola or an old tree in the southern part of England[2]. Easily grown in most soils[6]. Succeeds whan growing against a warm wall in a good loamy soil[2] in full sun[7] or light shade[5]. Plants do not flower so well when growing in a shady position[6]. Plants can become rampant when growing in rich soils[5]. A good plant for hot, dry sites[6]. There are some named forms selected for their ornamental value[8]. When grown in areas with cool summers, the plants require the extra warmth of a sunny wall in order to induce better flowering[4]. Plants are self-clinging by aerial roots like ivy but are best if given some support[2, 7]. Flowers are produced on the current year's growth, so any pruning is best carried out in the spring[9, 6]. This is an extremely aggressive plant which grows rampantly, suckers profusely from underground runners, and freely self-seeds. When growing in suitable climates it will quickly form impenetrable colonies which can choke out many plants that get in its way[6]. The seed only ripens outdoors in Britain in hot summers[3]. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[5].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse at 10°c. Two months stratification at 5°c assists germination[5]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of almost ripe wood, 7 - 10cm long, mid summer in a frame. Slow to root but a fair percentage[10, 5]. Root cuttings 5cm long in December. Fair to good percentage[10]. Suckers, removed in the dormant season. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Campsis+radicans>

Pollinators

Humming birds, Insects

References

  1. [1]Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas — Diggs, Jnr. G.M.; Lipscomb. B. L. & O'Kennon. R. J · Botanical Research Institute, Texas. · 1999 · http://artemis.austincollege.edu/acad/bio/gdiggs/NCTXpdf.htm · ISBN 1-889878-01-4 ↩︎An excellent flora, which is also available on-line.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  5. [5]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  6. [6]KemperCentreForHomeGardeningPlantFinder — Missouri Botanical Garden · http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/ ↩︎Basic cultivation details, plant uses, habitat etc for several thousand species of plants, mainly from the temperate zone.
  7. [7]The Milder Garden. — Taylor. J. · Dent · 1990 ↩︎A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
  8. [8]Climbers and Wall Shrubs. — Davis. B. · Viking. · 1990 · ISBN 0-670-82929-3 ↩︎Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
  9. [9]The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers — Brickell. C. · Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. · 1990 · ISBN 0-86318-386-7 ↩︎Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
  10. [10]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  11. [11]Flowers of India — http://www.flowersofindia.net/ ↩︎A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
  12. [12]Poisonous Plants of North Carolina — http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/poison.htm ↩︎An excellent concise but comprehensive guide to toxic plants that grow in N. Carolina. It lists even those plants that are of very low toxicity, including several well-known food plants such as carrots and potatoes.
  13. [13]Gray's Manual of Botany.Eighth Edition — Fernald. M. L. · American Book Co.; New York · 1950 · ISBN 0442222505 ↩︎A bit dated but a good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
  14. [14]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  15. [15]Medicinal Plants of China — Duke. J. A. and Ayensu. E. S. · Reference Publications, Inc. · 1985 · ISBN 0-917256-20-4 ↩︎Details of over 1,200 medicinal plants of China and brief details of their uses. Often includes an analysis, or at least a list of constituents. Heavy going if you are not into the subject.