Campsis radicans 'TANGO'

Trumpet creepers are gorgeous things in summer gardens, on patios, or climbing up walls, gazebos or fences. They are fast and vigorous growing vines that can create a dense coverage of bright green foliage with profusion of flowers within a few years only. Tango is a newly introduced variety from 2006 which was bred by Marinus Huisman in his Dutch Nursery and patented as ‘Huitan’ under PP16,656.

Tango trumpet creeper offers brilliant red flowers from July until the last warm and sunny days of early autumn. They are about 5-6 cm long and appear in clusters at the ends of current year's growths. Irrespective of the yellow throat, it is not only the pure red colour that makes it different from the species. Tango is a much more compact variety producing stronger but shorter new shoots with flowers on each of them. Deciduous leaves are pinnate, dark green and glossy. In milder parts of Europe they are supposed to be semi-evergreen.

For profusion of flowers it needs to be pruned every spring after the worst frosts (end March). Cut all previous year’s branches to 2-3 pairs of live buds. Trumpet creeper flowers on new shoots so the more shoots you have the more flowers you get. Though it makes a lot of aerial roots it needs a little bit of help tying up the first twigs to its support as it cannot twine around it like wisteria for example. Tango is a compact variety that is suitable for growing as a shrub. In such case it will not need a wall or trellis, it can stand right in the middle of a garden.

Trumpet creepers prefer limey soil and a warm and sunny spot. Its root system can accept temporary drought and extra watering is desirable only maximum once a week. Fully hardy to min. -24°C(USDA zone 6), but is expected to grow without problem in zone 5.

Last update 29-12-2010