We have several native plants that can get out of hand in our yard, meaning they grow quickly and establish themselves nearly everywhere.
When it comes to the trumpet creeper, a vine native to Illinois, we let it grow along a tall arbor in the backyard. The thin vine-like branches crawl around the arbor, which has also given it the name trumpet vine.
We love it, and so do the birds and bees.
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In summer, the clusters of scarlet-orange blooms look like tiny trumpets hanging along the vines that reach 8 to 15 feet tall. We walk under the vines and through the arbor to get a closer look. One peek and you’re in a whole new world of miniature wildlife.
Though we aren’t seeing nearly as many insects as we did years ago, we still encounter tiny bees of various sizes flitting around seeking nectar and pollinating the plant. On a warm August day, nearly microscopic sized creatures flitted around the blossoms, while a half-inch-long bee sat on one of the brightly colored bloom. Its head and thorax (the upper parts) were metallic green!
Some sleuthing and discussions with online insect identification group members revealed it was likely an Agapostemon species of bee, known as a sweat bee.
Bees are among the most effective insect pollinators. Most bee species have branched hairs on their bodies that collect pollen, which gets moved from flower to flower as the insects search for nectar as well as pollen to eat and feed their young.
Trumpet creeper blooms in midsummer, and sometimes has a second bloom before autumn’s chill arrives. That’s not only good for the bees, but also certain bird species, especially ruby-throated hummingbirds. After nesting, hummingbirds fly south for the winter, and search for nectar to keep them fit along the way.
Trumpeter creeper blooms have the perfect shape for a hummingbird to insert its long tongue and retrieve its sweet meal. It, too, inadvertently collects some pollen on its face, which it transfers to another flower.
Baltimore orioles also feast on the nectar, as do certain migratory species such as the Tennessee warbler. The first time I saw a Tennessee warbler in August flitting at the base of a trumpet creeper bloom, I was perplexed. But then I learned this species pierces the flower tube at its base and drinks in nectar, without pollinating the flower.
I’ve also seen female ruby-throated hummingbirds flit from cardinal flower nearby to the trumpet creeper, inserting their bills into the sweet bloom. It’s likely that Native Americans learned to pull the blossom away from the base to get to a long tendril where the nectar gathers, then suck the sweetness.
One account suggested sucking the juice out of 15 trumpet creeper flowers provides about 100 calories. I’ve also read, however, that some humans are allergic to trumpet creepers.
After the blooms are spent, small red berries form, which attract birds such as American robins and cedar waxwings.
Botanists and gardeners warn that trumpet creepers grow quickly, and may be difficult to control. In addition, it’s not a good idea to allow trumpet creeper to grow on the side of the house or other structure because its roots can damage wood, brick, stone and stucco.
Trumpet creeper was growing on the side of my house when I moved in, but I cut it back so it wouldn’t bloom or grow. My husband suggested we pluck some small trumpet creeper plants from the ground and plant them to start a new crop trained around the arbor in the backyard. Every so often it gets too unruly, so my husband cuts the plant down nearly to the ground, and within another year or so, it’s back growing and blooming.
We also walk the front and backyards each year, pulling up new trumpet creeper plants before they can grow into Jack’s beanstalk.
It’s vitally important to provide plants in our yard that help feed pollinators including bees. Without these food sources, these insects would not survive. According to the National Park Service, populations of bees and other pollinators are declining worldwide, likely due to habitat loss and pesticide use.
Pollinators require natural spaces with vegetation and flowering plants to live, and forage for pollen and nectar. The trumpet creeper serves that purpose in our small yard, filled with mostly native vegetation.
Sheryl DeVore has worked as a full-time and freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the baiduhai and its subsidiaries. She’s the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to [email protected].