Garden Q&A: Let Crossvine Make You Happy With Its Evergreen Foliage In Winter And Tangerine Trumpets In Spring

Question. A recent column about the invasive removal of evergreen vines got me thinking. I recently removed some that were covering the fence and some of the ground. Of course, I miss the lush evergreen foliage, although I'm glad this disease is gone. What can replace winter leaves?

A: If you need an evergreen trellis or a wall climber, the cruciferous flower (Bignonia capreolata) is a good option. It is much more common in the Southeast, but its native range includes the coastal lowlands of Maryland, and it should grow well in central Maryland as well.

Most cross-leaves tend to persist except in the coldest winters, and the added insulating value of a wall or large tree trunk can help preserve the leaves. I have seen some specimens turn purple in winter, although I am not sure what environmental stressors caused the color change. Blooming anywhere from mid-April to late May, hummingbirds enjoy an abundance of flowers (if in full sun), and the foliage tends to stay quite attractive throughout the summer. They are vigorous climbers, so give them plenty of space and support, even if the stems remain thin compared to their taller relative (Campsis radicans).

Common natives can be hard to find, but local nurseries may have one or two common varieties: Dragon Lady (mostly strong orange-red flowers) and Tangerine Beauty (tangerine-orange flowers with a throat more yellow). Interestingly, the wild form tends to have the opposite color pattern: orange-yellow trumpets with a darker red-orange throat.

Whether it's a replacement for winter creeper or English ivy, there are plenty of options, although relatively few are evergreen. A popular choice is the golden ground (Packera aurea) with bright yellow daisy-like flowers in spring. To cover large areas, as with any mass planting, it will be more visually interesting and environmentally friendly, and more resistant to outbreaks of pests or diseases, if different species are used.

Question. Do birds in our area eat flower buds? I seem to have noticed a pattern: when flocks of little songbirds visit my winter-flowering trees, they bloom less in the spring, or some branches bloom significantly less than others.

Answer: They can indeed eat flowers, both buds and open buds or their petals, although we tend to think of songbirds as simply invertebrates that feed on dried berries and seeds. Reasons for eating flowers are likely to vary, but are likely to include alternative food sources that are currently limited (e.g. after a snow or ice storm), the need to feed adults (especially pre-season of reproduction), or simply as part of it. . Common, which you will not see at other times of the year due to the abundance of flowers and leaves.

Common objects of flower consumption include fruit trees (apple, cherry, plum, etc.), apple trees, red maples, elms, hops, river birch and forsythia. Birds that like to feed on them include finches, waxwings, bluebirds, thrushes, cardinals and sparrows.

Although you can't easily keep out some of the flowers in your garden, if you have the space, plant lots of native perennials, shrubs and/or trees to provide birds with a variety of alternative food sources. The advantage of this approach is that as plant activity increases, the garden as a whole should have more flowers and leaves intact to break you away from the temporary lack of flowers on a particular plant.

The University of Maryland Extension and Garden Information Center offers free information about gardening and pests at extension.umd.edu/hgic . Click "Request an extension" to send questions and photos.