# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 3 - **Habitat:** Typically found in moist, alluvial woods, forested wetlands, and along riverbanks throughout the southeastern United States. ![Cross Vine](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/253383483/medium.jpg) Photo: Douglas Goldman, CC BY-SA 4.0 · [iNaturalist](https://www.inaturalist.org/photos/253383483) ## Appearance 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Lamiales - **Family:** Bignoniaceae - **Genus:** Bignonia ## Interesting facts - 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. ## Special abilities - **Adhesive Clinging Tendrils:** 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. - **Foliar Adaptability:** 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. - **Vascular Cross Pattern:** 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. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 900-1500 cm - **Lifespan:** 10-30 years ## Diet & Feeding 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. - **Age differences:** Seedlings rely on nutrient reserves stored within the seed coat until they develop true leaves to begin photosynthesis. - **Primary Foods:** Sunlight, Carbon dioxide, Water, Soil nutrients - **Foraging Method:** Photosynthesis ## Ecological connections - **Mutualism:** [Ruby-throated Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of the tubular flowers and act as primary pollinators. - **Mutualism:** [Eastern Tiger Swallowtail](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-tiger-swallowtail) (*Papilio glaucus*) — This butterfly feeds on the nectar of the flowers during spring. - **Eaten by:** [White-tailed Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-tailed-deer) (*Odocoileus virginianus*) — Deer occasionally browse the evergreen foliage of Cross Vine during the winter months. ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Cross Vine? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Cross Vine? 900-1500 cm ### How long does Cross Vine live? 10-30 years ### What does Cross Vine eat? 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. ### Where is Cross Vine usually found? Typically found in moist, alluvial woods, forested wetlands, and along riverbanks throughout the southeastern United States. ### How does Cross Vine hunt? Photosynthesis ## Where to spot - [Anderson University](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/anderson-university) — South Carolina, US · Campus - [Bullock County Courthouse Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bullock-county-courthouse-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Conestee Nature Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/conestee-nature-preserve) — South Carolina, US · Nature Reserve - [Isaac Franklin Plantation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/isaac-franklin-plantation) — Tennessee, US · Historic Site - [Red River Gorge](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/red-river-gorge) — Kentucky, US · Natural Landmark - [North Broad Street Residential Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/north-broad-street-residential-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District [View all places to see Cross Vine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/cross-vine) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Cross Vine: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cross-vine)