Trumpet vine
Its orange-red trumpets are adapted to birds; honey bees hardly reach the floral nectar and mainly use the extrafloral nectaries and pollen.
- Nectar
- Low
- Pollen
- Low
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 5-12 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Trumpet vine, native to North America, is a vigorous climber grown on walls and pergolas. In its natural range its long, orange-red trumpet-shaped flowers are adapted to hummingbirds; the honey bee's tongue usually cannot reach the nectar at the base. Bees collect pollen and can take nectar through holes made by larger bees.
Flowering
It flowers bit by bit throughout the summer, from June to September. Extrafloral nectaries on the sepals and young fruits secrete small droplets, which attract ants and bees.
Honey and pollen
Its contribution to honey is negligible; it is a small extra source for bees during the summer dearth.
Note for the beekeeper
It spreads rapidly by root suckers and can become hard to control in neglected gardens. The sap can irritate the skin of some people, so wear gloves when pruning. If you are planting for bees, other summer-flowering climbers are more productive.