Shrub · Caprifoliaceae
Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Give it full sun and something to climb, and trumpet honeysuckle answers with coral flowers and a steady stream of hummingbirds.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
USDA 4–9
8–20 ft · 2.4–6.1 m
Overview
Trumpet honeysuckle is a native flowering vine that trades the bad reputation of its invasive cousin for good garden manners. It carries whorls of slim, coral-red to orange tubular flowers from late spring well into summer, often picking up a second wind in fall. Hummingbirds work the blooms, and red berries follow for the birds.
This is an easy, adaptable plant. It takes most soils, shrugs off cold down to a punishing low, and asks for little once its roots are down. Train it up a trellis, an arbor, or a fence and it climbs fast, reaching well over your head in a season or two.
The one thing worth getting right is which honeysuckle you plant. The native trumpet type, Lonicera sempervirens, is the one you want. Steer clear of Japanese honeysuckle, the rampant white-flowered vine that smothers wild ground across much of the country.
Care
The short version: full sun and a support to climb, average well-drained soil, and steady moisture while it settles in, after which it largely fends for itself.
Light
Honeysuckle flowers hardest in full sun, though it will take partial shade and still bloom. Sun also keeps the foliage dry, which holds powdery mildew at bay.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist while the vine roots in, watering it every 5 to 10 days. An established plant handles dry spells well, but steady moisture brings the most flowers.
Soil
It isn't fussy and grows in average to rich, well-drained loam or clay loam. A wide pH window of 5.5 to 8.0 suits it, so most garden ground works as long as it drains.
Temperature
This is a tough vine, hardy from a bitter -29°F (-34°C) up to about 100°F (38°C). That range carries it through cold winters and hot summers across most temperate gardens.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is fine and there's no figure to chase. Airflow is what counts, since still, damp air around crowded foliage is what invites mildew.
Feeding
Feed lightly in spring with a balanced fertilizer, no more. Go heavy on nitrogen and you trade flowers for leaves, so keep it modest.
Pruning
Prune right after the main flush of bloom to shape the vine and hold its size. It flowers on new growth, so a light trim spurs reblooming. Save a hard cutback for late winter, and only when the plant needs renewing.
Repotting
Grown in the ground it needs no repotting, and even in a container it's reported up only rarely. Roots circling the pot or escaping the drainage holes, along with weak flowering, are the signs it has outgrown its home.
Size & spacing
Given something to climb, the vine reaches 8 to 20 feet (2.4 to 6 m) tall and spreads 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) wide. Give it a sturdy trellis or arbor and room for that reach.
When to plant
Honeysuckle is a hardy perennial vine, so the calendar is about getting it established rather than racing a frost. Set new plants out in spring or fall, then watch for the first flush of coral flowers from late spring into summer, with more to come if you keep it lightly pruned.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring or fall
- Harvest: late spring into summer, often reblooming into fall
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 4–9
Temperature: down to -34°C
Troubleshooting
Trumpet honeysuckle stays trouble-free most years, and what does turn up is usually cosmetic. The two things to watch for both show up in warm, muggy weather. Match the sign below and you can step in before it spoils the look of the vine.
White dusty film on the leaves in muggy weather
That powdery white coat is powdery mildew, a fungus that takes hold when the air sits still and humid. It rubs off the leaf, which sets it apart from the dark, fixed spots of leaf blight. Thin the vine for airflow, water at the base instead of overhead, and grow it in full sun so the leaves dry fast.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation by thinning and providing support such as a trellis or arbor
- Remove and discard severely affected foliage
- Avoid overhead watering and water at the base of the plant
- Site the vine in full sun where foliage dries quickly
Sticky shoots crowded with tiny soft insects
Those packed colonies on the tender tips are aphids, and they leave a sticky honeydew that often draws ants. Knock them off with a hard jet of water, then reach for insecticidal soap if a few stragglers hang on. Healthy, unstressed vines shrug them off, so go easy on the nitrogen that pushes the soft growth aphids love.
Fix:
- Dislodge aphids with a strong spray of water
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to affected growth if needed
- Encourage natural predators such as lady beetles and lacewings
- Reduce plant stress through adequate watering and avoiding excess nitrogen
Toxicity
Honeysuckle sits at the low end of the risk scale. The leaves, flowers, and sweet nectar are little cause for worry, and a child sipping a drop from a bloom comes to no harm. The catch is the red berries, which hold saponins that can upset a stomach if eaten in quantity, so keep pets and children from grazing on the fruit.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · People
Safe for
Birds
Cats Mild
A cat that nibbles the foliage or flowers is rarely bothered, but a mouthful of berries can bring on vomiting or loose stools. The saponins in the fruit are the part to watch.
Dogs Mild
Most dogs pass the leaves and nectar without trouble. Eat enough of the red berries, though, and you may see drooling, an upset stomach, and a bout of diarrhea.
Horses Caution
Honeysuckle isn't flagged as a serious horse poison, yet the berries carry the same saponins that upset other grazers, so it's wise to keep a curious horse from stripping the fruit.
Rabbits Mild
A rabbit that samples a leaf is unlikely to suffer, but the berries can leave it with a sour gut. Don't offer the fruit as a treat.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep usually leave the vine alone. A grazer that gorges on the berries may end up with mild digestive upset from the saponins, so fence valuable stock away from a heavy fruit set.
People Caution
Sipping a drop of nectar from a flower does nothing, but the berries are not food and can cause stomach upset if eaten in any quantity. Teach children to leave the fruit alone.
Birds Safe
Birds eat the bright red berries with no harm and scatter the seed as they go, which is exactly how the plant spreads. The fruit is part of their diet, not a hazard.
The sweet flower nectar that children sometimes sip is harmless in tiny amounts, but discourage anyone from eating the berries. Keep pets from grazing on the fruit.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Most garden honeysuckle comes down to a few reliable selections, almost all of them native trumpet types or well-behaved hybrids. These are the ones worth seeking out, plus one to avoid.
Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler'
A native trumpet honeysuckle prized for its heavy flush of reddish-orange flowers that rebloom strongly and pull in hummingbirds all season.
Lonicera sempervirens 'John Clayton'
A compact native selection with clear yellow flowers that repeats its bloom and sets a generous crop of red berries.
Lonicera × heckrottii (Gold Flame honeysuckle)
A fragrant, well-behaved hybrid carrying showy two-toned blooms, rose-pink on the outside and yellow within.
Lonicera × brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet'
An extra cold-hardy Brown's honeysuckle hybrid that flowers bright red over a long season and stays vigorous without turning aggressive.
Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' (Hall's honeysuckle)
An aggressive Japanese honeysuckle with fragrant white flowers that age to yellow, discouraged or banned in many regions and best avoided in favor of the natives above.
Companions
Keep apart
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle): Invasive non-native that smothers desirable plants and the native honeysuckle alike; should not be planted near or in place of native species.
How to propagate
Honeysuckle is easy to multiply, and the vegetative routes give you a flowering vine far sooner than seed. Pick the method that fits your patience and the time of year.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Late spring to summer (softwood/semi-hardwood) · Several weeks to a few months
Take softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings from late spring into summer and keep them humid, and they root readily over the next several weeks to a few months. This is the quickest, most reliable way to copy a vine you already like.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One growing season
From spring through summer, pin a low, flexible stem down to the soil and it roots at the buried node. Give it a full growing season, then cut the new plant free once it has established its own roots.
SeedModerate
Fall sowing or after cold stratification · A season or more
Clean the seed from ripe red berries and sow in fall or after a spell of cold stratification, since the chill is what breaks dormancy. Expect a season or more before you have a usable plant, which is why the vegetative methods are faster.
Myths
Every honeysuckle vine is an invasive weed that should never be planted.
The real culprit is Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica, a non-native with fragrant white-to-yellow flowers that smothers native plants across much of the eastern, central, and southern US and is regulated or banned in some states. The native trumpet or coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, with its whorls of coral-red to orange tubular blooms, behaves itself in the garden. It is non-invasive and the recommended alternative.
Sources
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Missouri Botanical Garden
- USDA National Invasive Species Information Center
- USDA Forest Service Fire Effects Information System
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
- Penn State Extension
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
- NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox