crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), photographi

How to Grow Crossvine

Bignonia capreolata · Zones 5-9

Crossvine is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 9 and shrugs off deer. Its summer flowers are a real draw for hummingbirds and native bees. It roots deep, which helps it reach moisture in a dry spell and open up tight soil as it establishes.

Crossvine — the short answer

Crossvine: grown in zones 5–9, full sun, pH 5.5–7.5.

USDA zones
5–9
Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
Soil pH
5.5–7.5
Growable Ground Plant Database
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground Plant Database

Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.

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Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether crossvine actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score crossvine against your land's real conditions.

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What Crossvine is

Crossvine grows as a perennial and reaches around 50 feet at maturity. It blooms orange in summer. It's also deer-resistant.

How to grow Crossvine

Crossvine grows in USDA zones 5 through 9. Crossvine does best in full sun — at least 6 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 2,000 growing degree days to mature, which is why climate matters as much as soil.

USDA Zones

5-9

USDA PHZM 2023

Soil pH

5.5 - 7.5

Growable Ground Plant Database

Sun

Full Sun

Growable Ground plant catalog

Drainage

well (dry spells)

Growable Ground plant catalog

GDD Required

2000+

Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.

Growable Ground plant catalog

Mature Height

50 ft

Growable Ground plant catalog

Frost-Free Days

0+

The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.

Growable Ground plant catalog

  1. Plant it right

    Set crossvine in full sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.

  2. Match the soil

    Crossvine prefers pH 5.5 to 7.5 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.

  3. Water steadily

    Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.

  4. Be patient, then harvest

    Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.

Where Crossvine thrives

Crossvine is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.

A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 59 spans average winter lows from -20°F to 30°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 25 outright and splits 25 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.

Zones 5–9 highlighted on the USDA national hardiness zone map

Zones 5–9·Where Crossvine growsOpen map →

Where Crossvine stands, state by state

Crossvine is rated for zones 59 — a cold floor USDA puts at -20 to -10°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 25 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 25 more, and 1 sits outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.

Fully inside zones 5–9

25 states

3 of 25 shown

The line runs through

25 states

3 of 25 shown

Crossvine’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.

Outside zones 5–9

1 state

Winter cold is the limit here — the same plant often works in a container that comes under cover. Each link is that state’s own growing hub.

State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.

What grows around Crossvine

In rotation planning, crossvine counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)

Good to know

Good news for pet owners — crossvine isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)

Crossvine is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)

Your land is one point inside Crossvine's range

This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.

Free Report

See if Crossvine will thrive on your land

Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether crossvine actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.

Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:

Your soil pHYour frost-free daysYour sun & shade

We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.

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How we know this about Crossvine

The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.

Grounded inUSDA PLANTS DatabaseUSDA PHZMASPCA

Frequently asked questions

Can I grow Crossvine in my zone?

Crossvine grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.

When should you plant Crossvine?

Set crossvine out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.

How much sun does Crossvine need?

Crossvine needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 6 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.

What soil does Crossvine need?

Crossvine prefers soil pH 5.5 to 7.5, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.

Does Crossvine attract pollinators?

Yes — crossvine's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for hummingbirds and native bees. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)

Is Crossvine safe for pets?

Crossvine is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)