I’ve been using a fair amount of tangerine cross vine in my plantings, and it’s not a mystery why. I can make a compelling argument for planting it in Phoenix gardens with only a few basic facts.
- Dense, dark green foliage all year long.
- An explosion of bright orange color in the spring with lingering flowers through the warm season.
- Can take full sun or partial shade, even in the low desert (no reflected heat).
- Grows quickly and covers the wall without needing continued support.
It seems like a good choice already for many back garden walls and sitting areas. But let me explain why I like to use it from a design perspective, too.
Good for areas up close and far away
This is a plant that’s visible from a distance. The flowers are eye-catching and vibrant. It makes for large blocks of color over a large area. But this vine is also friendly enough to plant near sitting areas. Not all plants have this much range, visually.
Different plants are best viewed from different distances. Plants that are good for close range include fragrant herbs and flowers, and delicate plants with small leaves and foliage. The sweet alyssum is an annual with beautiful flowers that could get lost in a big planting. And small crested cacti are better to admire up close, so you can see the weird folds and crevices.
Some plants are better far away, and shouldn’t be planted too close to sitting areas or walkways. Something like a sisal hemp agave is too pointy and dangerous to keep next to the house, but it looks great out in the yard. Some flowers attract tons of bees- like mature trailing rosemary in bloom. And some plants provide habitat for rodents like the prickly pears (which of course are also covered in irritating or dangerous spines). These all have a place in the desert garden, but might be more appropriate farther from heavily trafficked areas.
The tangerine cross vine excels at providing a big block of color because it grows so fast and so thick. Three plants could easily cover a 12ft long wall with a bit of irrigation and compost. The blooms are dramatic and bright. But this plant is also well-behaved. It has no thorns and no stiff woody stems that need to be controlled like the bougainvillea. It doesn’t make a big mess, just some dropped leaves and spent flowers. And it makes the sitting area feel more cozy with such thick green foliage. Considering that this vine will also be happy with anywhere between three to eight hours of sunlight, it makes for a plant that can be used in many spaces in the garden.
Lots of color for a long time
A plant might have what is called “visual interest”. This means that some aspect of it looks nice for at least part of the year. Often this means it has flowers, but sometimes the visual interest could be berries, unusual foliage, or even the shape of the branches after the leaves drop for the winter. Some plants have permanent visual interest and some are only interesting for a few weeks out of the year.
The tangerine cross vine can be treated like an anchor for the warm-season color garden. Once it’s established it will pretty much be producing orange flowers for as long as it’s actively growing, which is most of the year. This means you can count on having orange available to play with.
Orange can be paired with other warm colors for an exciting summer garden. A vertical wall of cross vine goes well with graceful arching coral fountain grass that explodes with red blooms all summer.
Yellow vertical spikes of blooming aloe plants add sunshiny brightness. And tecoma yellow bells complete the wall by standing tall on either side of the cross vines. When the yellow bells are dormant in winter the cross vine will still be deep green.
Or imagine a simple setup- a wall of tangerine cross vine, and three tall teal containers with matching elephant food (Portulacaria afra) in each one. Instant dramatic visual interest. It will be high-contrast during the summer with the orange and teal. During the months that the tangerine stops blooming, the containers will keep the area bright and welcoming.
Another possibility could be to use the orange flowers as a contrast against a blue and purple garden. Blue emu bushes, mealycup sage, ruellia, Mexican sage, and shrubby germander will pop in front of the tangerine blooms.
Texas sage comes in many shades of blue and purple and bloom less consistently but just as dramatically as the cross vine.
A large blue hibiscus will match the cross vine with its dark foliage and blooming season, and contrast perfectly with its big blue flowers.
There are many purple flowers available for Phoenix gardens, and they all benefit visually from some contrast.
Fast results for the establishing garden
A new garden takes a while to get established. Many plants won’t show too much growth for up to three years, because they’re putting their energy into growing roots. Some plants grow very slowly, like the Texas mountain laurel. (This is another great plant to pair with the cross vine.) But in my experience the tangerine cross vine keeps growing and flowering after being planted. They don’t go dormant after planting like many shrubs do. Also, five gallon containers tend to be big plants already. They can be unwrapped and attached to the wall after planting and already cover a rather large area. So this is a plant that can help make the garden look complete while the other plants are still establishing.
Reliable beauty in the garden
This hardy, gorgeous, and reliable vine is native to the SE as far west as Texas. No stranger to heat, it thrives with sunshine and a bit of tlc for the roots. In some wet parts of the usa it’s considered annoying because it grows so well, like the coral vine and the red bird of paradise. But like these other tropical heat-loving plants, our climate is too dry for the cross vine to go out of control. We can have the best of both worlds. An oasis garden with minimal upkeep.
My last piece of advice is to make sure there is actually enough space for the tangerine cross vine. This vigorous plant deserves to stretch out and amaze the guests. Take advantage of the space if you have it.
Paige Maloney | Arizona Landscape Designer 