Common names: Orange Trumpet vine, Flame vine, Venusta vine
Scientific name: Pyrostegia venusta
Native to: South America
Family: Bignoniaceae. This is the same family that Jacarandas belong to. Plants in this family have tubular flowers.
Habit: Vine climbing up to 20 meters tall. Will also grow along the ground.
Leaves: 2 or 3 leaflets and tendrils.
Flowers: Bright orange tubes with 5 lobes that bend backwards.
Control measures: Very hard to control once established. Cut at the base and apply chemical.
Orange trumpet vine produces a large amount of flowers that look impressive when blooming. Its easy to see why this plant is adored. Its reported that the plant does not fruit in Australia and so seedlings aren’t a concern. The issue is when the vine escapes into bushland from an adjoining garden. The stems become woody and heavy and so can break native vegetation. The leaves are abundant and block sunlight from plants growing under them.
Native alternatives: Bower of beauty Pandorea jasminoides. Not orange but a pink flower that is also very attractive.
For more information refer to Weeds of the Sunshine Coast page 262, 2nd edition.