Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Sunday - April 29, 2012
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Invasive Plants, Vines
Title: Eradicating trumpet vine runners in Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
How do I eradicate trumpet vine runners from my lawn? Will it kill my pecan tree?ANSWER:
Campsis radicans (Trumpet creeper) is a native, colorful flowering vine, growing natively through most of North America, but most invasive in the Southeast. Follow the plant link to learn about the risks of having the plant in your yard.
Also, Dave's Garden, which is a forum, has 64 negative comments on the plant.
From Floridata, more comments on invasiveness of Campsis radicans.
Previous Mr. Smarty Plants answer
Conclusion: How to keep it from being invasive? Don't plant it and don't let it into your garden from anywhere else. It can definitely harm your pecan tree if it gets up in it and covers the leaves, preventing sunlight from reaching those leaves and also preventing photosynthesis, whereby the plant uses the energy of the sun to produce food for the plant as well as oxygen for our air.
Obviously, you already have it. We can pass along some of the suggestions for controlling it. First; patience. Even if you never get rid of it completely, it will only get worse if you don't stay after it year after year. Second: herbicide. Do NOT spray herbicide, this will only damage the tree, other desirable plants in your garden and the environment, but won't get close to all those Trumpet Vine roots underground. You say it's in your lawn-mow it, low and regularly. Mowing won't kill it, but it will slow it down. Get a bottle of an undiluted wide spectrum herbicide and some disposable sponge brushes. With garden nippers, clip off the stems close to the ground and immediately paint the cut edge of the stem in hopes you get it into the system of the vine before the cut place heals over in self defense. This makes it possible for the herbicide to actually get to the roots. Sometimes. If you have big roots going up a tree, by all means, pull them away, cut the vine and, again, paint the fresh cut with the herbicide.
The only way to keep a plant from being invasive is to never plant it.
From the Image Gallery
More Invasive Plants Questions
Plants for under pine trees in Colorado Springs CO
April 23, 2011 - What can I plant under pine trees in Colorado that will grow every year? Would like ground cover; tried bishop weed.
view the full question and answer
Percentage of plants native to U.S.
June 22, 2007 - About 50% of the plant species in Hawaii are naturalized, invasive, aliens (from other places). What are equivalent statistics for the lower 48 states (continental US) as a whole?
view the full question and answer
Eliminating black locust volunteers in Rockville MD
September 27, 2011 - I am a landscape designer whose client has a very large, mature black locust in her front yard. Not surprisingly, she also has multitudes of black locust volunteers popping up all over her yard. The...
view the full question and answer
Information on various plants from Alamo TX
November 15, 2009 - Have you heard of the following plants: Butterfly Iris,Compact Nanpina, Red Dwarf Turks? I would like to know some details on the above plant: size, flowers?, drought tolerant, where to plant
Thanki...
view the full question and answer
Use of chemicals for eradicating invasive plants
April 24, 2008 - Re: Round Up
We are extremely reluctant to use any chemical agents in our yard (or around our home) due to environmental & ecological reasons... However, we are becoming inundated with several ver...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |
