Campsis x tagliabuana 'TARANTELLA'

Tarantella is a novelty from Holland from 2008. It is a trumpet creeper hybrid with large, red flowers very similar to Madame Galen variety, perhaps a slightly deeper red. The difference between these two varieties is that Tarantella makes shorter and stronger new shoots which determines it to be best grown as a shrub or grafted on a stem like a small tree flowering from early July until last warm and sunny days of autumn.

Its deciduous leaves are pinnate, deep green and very attractive. Originally a vine, this form was trained into a small tree. Pruning is a crucial issue with this plant if you want a nice one. It flowers on current year’s growths so it is desirable to have plenty of new branches. So cut back last year’s branches to 2-3 buds after danger of frosts (usually in April) to make a crown with strong branches. The wood is fragile and too long branches can easily break in strong wind. If you wish to have a dense crown sooner and are ready to miss early flowering for one year you can clip new growths just after the second or third pair of leaves. If you live in good growing conditions and the branches are strong enough you can do it again at the end of summer. Grown as a small tree it will need life-long support.

Trumpet creepers like neutral to alkaline soil so never plant it along with peat-loving plants. Its root system can accept temporary drought so extra watering is desirable only maximum once a week in very dry summer. If you need to fertilize use only flower-encouraging fertilizers with low nitrogen level. We only sell GRAFTED plants that will flower the same year you buy them. Its hardiness has been tested to -24°C (USDA zone 6) so far but it is expected to take much stronger frost.

Last update 18-08-2010; 27-07-2011