Flower profile

Cross vine

Bignonia capreolata

Native in the lower 48

Cross vine is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 9 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

19states

9of our state lists

19,730U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

Quick look

Bignonia capreolata is a vine commonly referred to as crossvine. The common name refers to the cross-shaped pattern revealed when the stem is cut; this pattern results from four radial wedges of phloem embedded within the stem's xylem. It is native to the central and southern United States. The vine climbs without twining but does produce tendrils.
From Wikipedia's article Bignonia capreolata, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Bignoniaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a vine with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 19 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Tennessee, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,119 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #13 among the 112 flowers on our Tennessee list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,758 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #60 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,656 research-grade sightings of it in Georgia, ranking #17 among the 111 flowers on our Georgia list. ^iNaturalist

Cross vine gift ideas

Handmade cross vine gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Cross vine art print
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Cross vine greeting card
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Cross vine mug
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Cross vine earrings
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Cross vine embroidery pattern
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Cross vine sticker
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (5,918 records)

Bloom time in each of our 9 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Tennessee	Native	April–May	3,119
North Carolina	Native	April–May	2,758
Georgia	Native	March–May	2,656
Alabama	Native	March–May	1,610
South Carolina	Native	March–April	1,585
Louisiana	Native	February–April	971
Kentucky	Native	April–May	945
Arkansas	Native	April–May	633
Mississippi	Native	March–April	548

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Tennessee: Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. ^{TN rule 0400-06-02-.04}
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Georgia: Not listed Not on Georgia protected plants (Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. 391-4-10-.09; a 2026 update is proposed). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Georgia. ^{Ga. R. 391-4-10-.09}
Alabama: No list Alabama has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alabama ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alabama.
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Louisiana: No list Louisiana has no state list of endangered or threatened plants separate from the federal list, so we show federal status and NatureServe's Louisiana ranks. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Louisiana.
Kentucky: Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. ^{400 KAR 3:040}
Arkansas: No list Arkansas has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Arkansas ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Arkansas.
Mississippi: No list Mississippi has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Mississippi ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Mississippi.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: OK (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records cross vine in 19 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Benton, Blount, Bradley, Campbell, Cannon, Carroll, Cheatham, Clay, Cocke, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Franklin, Giles, Grundy, Hamilton, Hardin, Hawkins, Haywood, Henry, Hickman, Houston, Jackson, Knox, Lake, Lauderdale, Lincoln, Loudon, Marion, Maury, McNairy, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Obion, Overton, Perry, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Shelby, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Tipton, Trousdale, Union, Van Buren, Weakley, White, Williamson, Wilson.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Cherokee, Chowan, Cleveland, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Gates, Graham, Granville, Harnett, Hertford, Iredell, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Madison, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pasquotank, Pender, Pitt, Polk, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Scotland, Stanly, Swain, Transylvania, Wake, Warren, Washington.

Georgia counties with USDA records: Bacon, Banks, Bartow, Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Charlton, Chatham, Clarke, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Floyd, Fulton, Gordon, Grady, Greene, Habersham, Harris, Johnson, Lamar, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Madison, McIntosh, Morgan, Muscogee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pierce, Pike, Putnam, Spalding, Stephens, Sumter, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Walker, Wayne, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Worth.