© 2024 South Carolina Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Trumpet Creeper Invading China?

Making It Grow logo

Well, if you’ve ever tried to get an out of control trumpet vine under control, what ‘til you hear this story. Dave Creech, of the SFA Arboretum in Texas, writes delightful columns called “Life on the Green Side.” Sadly, one was a tale of woe. Professor Yin Yunlong of the Nanjing Botanical Garden asked Creech to look at a problematic vine taking over and undermining the integrity of a portion of the Great Wall. Amazingly, it was our native trumpet creeper, Campsis radicans and not the far less aggressive Asian species, Campsis grandiflora - the one you’d expect to find since its native to that country. Sadly, our native Campsis has been introduced into that part if the world and is acting just like a thug outcompeting their native species, just like Asian wistarias have overtaken parts of our forests and woodlands.

Stay Connected
Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.