Blood-red trumpet vine + cv

Distictis buccinatoria

Description

The trumpet vines that belong to the genus Distictis are highly colorful evergreen flowering vines with lush, glossy foliage and large, trumpet-shaped flowers. Varieties grown in the Inland Empire are fast growing, have tendrils and dark glossy green leaflets. Tubular flowers grow to 4 in. long and are brightly colored red or blue. These vines come from subtropical climates where they are adapted to summer heat, but not extreme winter cold. They grow fastest when planted in loamy soils, sun to partial shade, and sustained with regular water. Species and cultivars found in nurseries can grow to 30 ft. and longer over time; pruning can keep them smaller in size.

The common Blood-red trumpet vine, D. buccinatoria, is the most common choice found in cultivation. It is well suited to growing on fences, large trellises and for cascading over large slopes. This is the most cold tolerant species, surviving temperatures below 25° F. The Royal trumpet vine, D. ‘Rivers’, produces attractive purple-blue to lavender colored flowers. These vines are grown on walls along freeways and in residential landscapes throughout the Inland Empire.

Plant Type: Vine
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Trailing, Climbing
Growth Rate: Fast
Foliage Color: Dark green
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Loam, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Heat, All day sun
Function: Slopes, Screening, Overhead structures, Hummingbird plant, Flowering accent plant, Espalier, Commercial spaces, Background plant, Specimen
Height: 30 ft. – 50 ft.
Width: 30 ft. – 50 ft.

Watering Schedule: Medium

For most situations, we recommend watering once per week after establishment, watering very deeply in summer, less deeply in fall and spring, and even less in winter.

See our recommendations for how much water to apply each time you water, below. Note that these recommendations are intended for inland valley areas of Southern California including the Inland Empire, San Gabriel, and San Fernando Valleys. People in cooler or warmer areas may use this as a baseline but should adjust based on local needs.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Seasonal Watering Recommendations

June – August: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 1.25” of irrigation.
September – October: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.
November – February: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.5” of irrigation.
March-May: once per week, water deeply, applying approximately 0.75” of irrigation.

Learn how to provide 1” of water to your landscape here, and adjust to provide more or less based on the recommendations above for each time of year.

Adjusting to your local needs

These recommendations for Medium / Moderate water demanding plants were created for Southern California inland valley areas. Southern California areas closer to the coast and along the coast will usually be able to water significantly less during the warm months of the year. For desert areas, check with local experts to be sure plants are appropriate for the area and anticipate needing to water more.

As a very general baseline, people in Los Angeles and similar areas can try setting a schedule of 80% of the in Spring, Summer, and Fall and adjust as necessary based on observation. The difference is less pronounced in the winter months, so we recommend starting with the same recommendations as above for winter. People in cooler coastal areas such as Santa Monica can try using this same approach but adjust to use 75% of the chart recommended minutes for the Spring, Summer, and Fall months.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another week, possibly longer. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering again.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.
“Smart timers” or weather sensitive irrigation controllers such as Rachio and Hunter Hydrawise are ideal for watering plants in this category because they will automatically adjust how much they water based on the weather so you do not need to reprogram the timer seasonally. Rebates for these types of irrigation controllers are available through socalwatersmart.com.

Prune as needed to keep the rampant vine at an appropriate size for the space it has to grow on. It’s not one to try to grow in a small space or on a small trellis, but good to swallow a large chain link fence (which it could damage over time). Prune as needed through out the year, but it is best to avoid pruning during flowering, or right before winter, as new growth will be sensitive to frost. If growing on a fence or trellis with similar or small size openings, make sure that the main trunk of the vine does not wrap through any initial small openings. it will widen into a trunk over time and if it is caught through a small opening it can both strangle the plant and damage the structure (D,S). References