Cross Vine

bignonia capreolata

The Cross Vine (Bignonia capreolata) is a vigorous, climbing woody vine native to the southeastern United States. Renowned for its showy, trumpet-shaped flowers, this resilient plant scales trees, fences, and walls using specialized tendrils equipped with adhesive disks. In the wild, it forms dense cascades of color in spring, providing an early and crucial nectar source for hummingbirds and newly emerged insects. Its common name, Cross Vine, derives from the distinctive cross-shaped pattern visible in the transverse section of its woody stem. Highly adaptable, it thrives in a variety of light conditions from full sun to deep shade, making it both an ecological pioneer and a beloved ornamental plant in temperate gardens.

Lebensraum: Typically found in moist, alluvial woods, forested wetlands, and along riverbanks throughout the southeastern United States.

Aussehen

This evergreen to semi-evergreen vine is instantly recognizable by its opposite, compound leaves consisting of two leaflets and a central, branched tendril. The flowers are stunning, bell-to-trumpet-shaped blossoms measuring 4 to 5 cm long, featuring a dramatic reddish-orange exterior with a bright yellow to orange interior. In late spring, they bloom in spectacular, dense clusters. The bark of older stems is grey-brown and flaky, and when cut horizontally, reveals a dark, four-armed cross structure of vascular tissue within the pale wood.

ReichPlantaeStammTracheophytaKlasseMagnoliopsidaOrdnungLamialesFamilieBignoniaceaeGattungBignonia

Cross Vine

Kategorie

Pflanzen

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Early pioneers and Native Americans occasionally used the vine's roots and bark to brew herbal teas believed to alleviate headaches and rheumatism.

If you slice the woody stem of a Cross Vine, you will see a perfect, natural cross pattern in the wood's vascular structure, which gave the plant its common name.

Unlike English Ivy, Cross Vine climbs using specialized adhesive disks at the end of its tendrils, meaning it can scale brick walls without damaging the mortar.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Its branching tendrils are equipped with tiny, sticky suction disks at their tips, allowing the vine to scale smooth vertical surfaces like tree bark or masonry without requiring external support.

The vine exhibits semi-evergreen behavior, retaining its dark, purplish-green leaves throughout mild winters, which allows it to photosynthesize during the cooler months when deciduous competitors are dormant.

The stem's internal wood is split into four distinct quadrants by vascular rays, a physical structure that provides flexibility against snapping during high winds.

Maße und Details

Länge: 900-1500 cm
Lebenserwartung: 10-30 Jahre

Ernährung und Fütterung

As a photosynthetic plant, the Cross Vine produces its own food by converting sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars, supplemented by minerals absorbed through its roots.

Altersunterschiede: Seedlings rely on nutrient reserves stored within the seed coat until they develop true leaves to begin photosynthesis.

Hauptnahrung

Sunlight
Carbon dioxide
Water
Soil nutrients

Nahrungssuche

Photosynthesis

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

mutualism

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Archilochus colubris

Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of the tubular flowers and act as primary pollinators.

mutualism

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus

This butterfly feeds on the nectar of the flowers during spring.

eaten by

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Deer occasionally browse the evergreen foliage of Cross Vine during the winter months.

Merkmale

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Auch bekannt als

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Sammlungen

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Sicherheit

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Noch keine besonderen Sicherheitshinweise.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Wie identifiziert man Cross Vine?

Der einfachste Weg, Cross Vine zu bestimmen, ist die Verwendung der Naturführer-App Snappit.

Was ist der/die/das länge von Cross Vine?

900-1500 cm

Was ist der/die/das lebenserwartung von Cross Vine?

10-30 Jahre

Was frisst Cross Vine?

As a photosynthetic plant, the Cross Vine produces its own food by converting sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars, supplemented by minerals absorbed through its roots.

Wo findet man Cross Vine normalerweise?

Typically found in moist, alluvial woods, forested wetlands, and along riverbanks throughout the southeastern United States.

Wie jagt Cross Vine?

Photosynthesis