When to plant and prune Trumpet vine (campsis)
Trumpet vine (campsis) flowers from early August to early October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Trumpet vine (campsis) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| South Coast and Channel | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| South East and Home Counties | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| East Anglia | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Wales and West Coast | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Northern England | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Northern Ireland | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early October to late November | early August to early October | late January to late February |
Growing notes
Self-clinging by aerial roots, but it is heavy, so tie it into strong wires on a support at least 4m high — Campsis grandiflora in particular needs tying in. It must have full sun to ripen the wood that carries the flowers.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 250 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 1000 cm
- Eventual spread
- 300 cm
- Hardiness
- H4
- Sun
- Full
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 60 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
Feeding
General fertiliser and a mulch in spring.
Pruning: what to avoid
Without annual late-winter spur pruning it turns into a bare tangle that only flowers out of sight at the top; renovation cuts back to about 30cm.
Pruning group
Late winter: spur-prune last year's sideshoots back to two or three buds of the permanent framework. After planting, cut all stems back to about 15cm to build that framework.
What usually goes wrong
- bud drop in cold or dry summers
- powdery mildew
- aphids
- scale insects
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for trumpet vine (campsis).