I live in Bellevue and was thinking of planting a couple of Trumpet vines against a very tall wood fence in my yard (Campsis radicans). I found quite a lot of messages online about these plants being very invasive. Do you know that to be true for this area? If so, what other plants could I use against the fence and which attract hummingbirds as the Trumpet Vine claims to do.
Campsis radicans (trumpet vine) is not considered officially invasive in the Pacific Northwest, though it may be an aggressive grower that needs (or takes up) a fair amount of space. If you do decide to look for alternative vines to grow, scarlet runner bean is attractive to hummingbirds, as are honeysuckle (harder to grow than Campsis as it has occasional problems with aphids), and clematis, according to Naturescaping, published by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (2001).
The local website of Rainyside Gardeners has a list of nectar plants for Northwest hummingbirds. Of the plants on this list (which includes Campsis radicans, Honeysuckle(Lonicera), and Scarlet runner bean), Eccremocarpus scaber, Ipomoea, Jasminum stephanense, Mina lobata, and Tropaeolum are all vines, some of which are annual.
King County Natural Resources has a searchable native plant guide, and here are the native plants they recommend for hummingbirds:
- Tree:
- Madrone; madrona (Arbutus menziesii)
- Vine:
- Orange honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa)
- Shrub:
- Red-flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum)
- Black gooseberry (Ribes lacustre)
- Groundcover:
- Thrift; sea pink (Armeria maritima)
- Western columbine (Aquilegia formosa)
- Cooley’s hedge nettle (Stachys cooleyae)
In my own garden, the Italian Jasmine (Jasminum humile, a shrub grown against a wall, not a vine) appeals to hummingbirds, and in the fall they seem to like the Camellia sasanqua.