| I have a 1 year old hummingbird vine approx. 5 feet tall. Do I cut it down to the ground this spring or just let it grow? It has lots of brown dead looking vines Thanks Tracy |
| Unfortunately I am not certain exactly which vine you have. The name hummingbird vine is sometimes used for an annual vine with fine textured ferny foliage and small, dainty, red flowers. This vine would not be expected to survive freezing temperatures. Hummingbird vine is also sometimes used for Campsis radicans, which is more commonly called trumpet vine. This large perennial vine has big, orange, trumpet shaped flowers. Campsis radicans blooms on new growth of the season, so it is pruned in late winter to early spring. Do not prune during the summer as this will remove the flowering wood. This year you might cut it back by about half to encourage branching and new growth. In future years you may need to cut it back very hard each year to control the size. (It is a very big and heavy vine and once established grows very quickly.) And in some years you may need to cut it back to remove any winter damage. Winter killed stems will be dry and brittle with no green inside. This vine leafs out a bit late in spring, so it may not be as lifeless as it looks right now. I hope this helps. |
