Orange Trumpet Vine

Orange Trumpet Vine (Pyrostegia venusta) does something very few plants manage: it covers a fence in a blaze of orange in the middle of winter. A well grown plant climbs about 6m and spreads around 5m across its support, smothering the framework in clusters of tubular flame orange flowers from late autumn to early spring. It is fast and tough, provided you give it something solid to climb and are prepared to prune it.

Why you'll love it

• Colour when nothing else has any. The main flush runs from late autumn into early spring, which is exactly when most gardens go flat.
• It covers ground fast. A fast grower that will clothe a bare fence, pergola or carport frame within two seasons.
• Birds use it. The tubular flowers hold nectar and are worked by honeyeaters through the cooler months.
• Evergreen and low input. Drought, heat and humidity tolerant, and out of flower it is still a dense green curtain, so the screening job continues all year.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart along a fence or a pergola for even cover. Two plants will clothe a standard suburban boundary run within a couple of seasons.

Feature planting. Over an archway or a carport frame it turns a plain structure into the main event for three months of the year.

Growing Orange Trumpet Vine in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, while part shade grows plenty of leaf and far fewer flowers. This is a tropical, subtropical and warm temperate plant that takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are not suitable.

Soil. Free draining soil with compost worked through. It is not fussy about type once drainage is right, and grows well in sandy coastal soils. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough, and high nitrogen feeding gives vigorous growth with disappointing flowering.

Pruning. This is the part that matters. Prune hard as soon as flowering finishes in spring, cutting the plant back to the framework you want to keep. Left alone for years it becomes a heavy tangle that can pull down a light structure.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tubestock, the standard way this vine is sold and the way it establishes best. A tube arrives as a small plant with a few climbing stems, and will look modest next to the fence you are covering. That changes quickly: in a warm garden it puts on serious growth in the first full season, and most plants give a first real display in their second winter.

Tie the young stems onto wires or a trellis early, because it climbs by tendrils and needs something to grip. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Plants that soften fences and walls
• Browse the climbing plant range
• Fast growing plants for quick cover
• More bird attracting plants

Common questions

When does it flower?

From late autumn into early spring, with the heaviest display through winter. That timing, when the rest of the garden has little to show, is the main reason to plant it.

How far apart should I plant it along a fence?

Two metres apart. Each plant spreads roughly 5m across its support once established, so 2m spacing gives even, overlapping cover with no gaps at the base.

Will it damage my fence or the house?

It climbs with tendrils rather than clinging roots, so it does not attack render or paint, but a mature plant is heavy. Grow it on a solid fence, a steel frame or strained wires, never on gutters.

How much pruning does it really need?

One hard cut a year, straight after flowering. Skip it for two or three seasons and you will be dealing with a dense woody tangle that takes real effort to bring back.