Flame vine

Sun

Full sun gives the heaviest flowering; tolerates light partial shade.

Water

Water regularly while establishing. Established plants tolerate short dry spells, but need occasional deep watering during prolonged drought.

Soil

Well-drained soil, from sandy loam to loam; avoid sites that remain waterlogged.

Height

20-40 ft (6-12 m), potentially longer in frost-free climates

Spread

10-20 ft (3-6 m), depending on support and pruning

Flowers

Dense clusters of bright orange tubular flowers, mainly in winter and early spring; timing varies with climate.

Foliage

Evergreen. Glossy green leaves usually have two or three oval leaflets, with a branching tendril often replacing the terminal leaflet.

Growth

Fast

Care needed

High

• Pollinators
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   2 ft (0.6 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (1.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.5 m)

4. After 3 years

   6 ft (1.8 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

Australia

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Install a strong pergola, trellis or wire framework before planting; keep stems away from gutters and roof tiles.
• Water deeply through the first growing season, allowing the soil surface to dry between waterings.
• Apply a modest amount of balanced fertilizer in spring if growth is weak; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Tie young shoots to supports and remove stems that trail onto soil or neighbouring plants.
• In cold climates, grow under glass with frost protection and reduce watering during cool weather.

Pruning. Prune immediately after flowering, shortening flowered shoots and removing dead, tangled or unwanted stems. Avoid routine autumn pruning, which can remove growth carrying the next flower display.

Spring

Plant after frost risk has passed, or move container plants outside once nights are reliably warm.

After flowering

Prune to fit the support and remove shoots spreading into surrounding plants.

Late spring

Refresh mulch and feed lightly if needed.

Summer

Train new shoots, water during prolonged dry spells and check for stems rooting where they touch soil.

Autumn

Bring container plants under cover before frost and check that supports can carry the mature vine.

Winter

Enjoy flowering in warm climates; keep greenhouse plants bright, frost-free and less frequently watered.

• Train over a substantial pergola where flower clusters can hang freely.
• Cover a sturdy boundary trellis for evergreen screening in frost-free gardens.
• Grow against a sunny wall on stand-off wires for a strong winter colour display.
• Combine with bold foliage plants in a large tropical courtyard, keeping their crowns clear of its stems.

Garden styles it suits: Tropical, Modern tropical, Mediterranean, Winter interest, Hot border and Modern courtyard.

Plant it with: Bird of paradise, Agapanthus, Society garlic, Aloe and Lomandra.

Wildlife: Flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds where present and are visited by other nectar-feeding birds and insects. Dense growth can provide shelter for birds.

• Poor flowering: provide more sun, reduce nitrogen feeding and prune only after flowering.
• Frost damage: protect young plants and overwinter containers under glass; remove damaged stems after frost risk passes.
• Waterlogged roots: improve drainage or relocate the plant rather than continuing to water wet soil.
• Uncontrolled growth: inspect regularly, cut back escaping shoots and lift stems before they root into surrounding soil.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but reliable species-specific safety information is limited. No particular part is established as poisonous; do not treat the flowers, leaves or seeds as edible.

Where it spreads. Naturalised and regarded as an environmental weed in parts of Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. It can smother surrounding vegetation and spread through stems rooting where they touch the ground; check local guidance before planting near bushland.

• Cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis)

  Has pinnate leaves with several small, toothed leaflets and a scrambling shrub habit rather than climbing by branching tendrils.

• Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans)

  Is deciduous, climbs with aerial rootlets and has leaves with many toothed leaflets; its broader trumpet flowers appear mainly in summer.

• Orange trumpet vine (Campsis grandiflora)

  Has large, flared orange trumpets and pinnate leaves with toothed leaflets, rather than flame vine's narrow flower tubes and two or three leaflets.

The common name refers to the flame-orange flower clusters, while the Latin venusta means beautiful or charming.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe stem cuttings in summer with warmth and humidity, or layer a low shoot and detach it after roots form. Keep cuttings and unwanted rooted stems out of garden waste dumped near natural areas.

Accepted botanical name

Pyrostegia venusta

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states and Puerto Rico.

Native range

Argentina Northeast, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador and Guatemala.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.