Queen’s Crown

Sun/part shade; deciduous. A vigorous and aggressive climber, easily swallowing up fences, telephone poles, and buildings by the end of summer. It turns to dust after the first freeze but returns easily from underground tubers. Heart-shaped leaves and cascades of pink blooms in summer and autumn resemble redbud, but with a much longer bloom season. Queen’s Crown is an old-fashioned favorite and lends a romantic zest to autumn days wherever it is established. The seeds were once eaten like popcorn by Native Americans. Don’t place it near smaller perennials or native plants or it will swiftly overwhelm them; it can engulf entire trees.