Shrub · Caprifoliaceae
Honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens
Offer it full sun and something to climb, and trumpet honeysuckle thanks you with coral flowers and a happy parade 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 leaves the bad reputation of its invasive cousin behind and behaves beautifully in the garden. You can look forward to whorls of slim, coral-red to orange tubular flowers from late spring well into summer, often with a cheerful second wind in fall. Hummingbirds come to work the blooms, and red berries follow to feed the birds.
Here is the reassuring part: this is an easy, adaptable plant that forgives a beginner's mistakes. It settles into most soils, endures cold down to a punishing low, and asks very little once its roots are down. Give it a trellis, an arbor, or a fence to climb and it takes off fast, rising well over your head within a season or two.
The one choice worth getting right is which honeysuckle you bring home, and it is an easy one. 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: give it full sun and a support to climb, average well-drained soil, and steady moisture while it settles in, and after that the vine happily looks after itself.
Light
Honeysuckle blooms its heart out in full sun, though it will take partial shade and still flower for you. Sun has a nice bonus too, keeping the foliage dry and holding powdery mildew at bay.
Water
Keep the soil evenly moist while the young vine roots in, giving it a drink every 5 to 10 days. Once it is established it copes with dry spells just fine, but steady moisture rewards you with the most flowers.
Soil
There is no need to fuss over the soil, since it 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 wonderfully tough vine, hardy from a bitter -29°F (-34°C) up to about 100°F (38°C). That generous range carries it through cold winters and hot summers across most temperate gardens, so you rarely have to worry.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is perfectly fine, and there is no figure you need to chase. Airflow is what really counts, since still, damp air around crowded foliage is what invites mildew.
Feeding
Feed lightly in spring with a balanced fertilizer and leave it at that. Go heavy on nitrogen and you trade flowers for leaves, so a modest hand keeps the blooms coming.
Pruning
Prune right after the main flush of bloom to shape the vine and keep its size in check. It flowers on new growth, so a light trim spurs reblooming, which is lovely. Save any hard cutback for late winter, and only if the plant truly needs renewing.
Repotting
Grown in the ground it never needs repotting, and even in a pot it is reported up only rarely. Roots circling the pot or slipping out the drainage holes, along with weaker flowering, are the plant's gentle way of telling you it has outgrown its home.
Size & spacing
With 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 plenty of room for that reach, and it will be happy.
When to plant
Honeysuckle is a hardy perennial vine, so the calendar is more about helping it settle in than beating a frost, which takes the pressure off. Set new plants out in spring or fall, then enjoy that first flush of coral flowers from late spring into summer, with more to come as long as 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
The happy news is that trumpet honeysuckle sails through most years, and anything that does crop up is usually just cosmetic. Only two things really ask for your attention, and both prefer warm, muggy weather. Match the sign below and you can step in early, well before it dims the look of your vine.
A pale, dusty bloom on the leaves during sticky weather
Take heart, that chalky white film is powdery mildew, a common fungus that settles in when the air goes warm and stays still, and it is easy to turn around. You can tell it apart from leaf blight because it wipes off with a finger, while blight leaves fixed dark marks. Open up the vine so air moves through, water down at the roots, and let full sun dry the leaves, and it will recover nicely.
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
Tender tips crowded with little soft insects and a sticky film
Those small clustered bugs on the fresh growth are aphids, and the sticky honeydew they leave behind is what draws the ants you may notice. Do not worry, a firm blast of water knocks most of them off, and a little insecticidal soap handles any that linger. A happy, well-watered vine barely notices them, so ease up on nitrogen and it will shrug the rest away.
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
You can breathe easy, because honeysuckle sits at the low end of the risk scale. The leaves, flowers, and sweet nectar give little cause for worry, and a child who sips a drop from a bloom comes to no harm. The one thing to mind 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
You can relax if a cat nibbles a leaf or flower, since that rarely causes any trouble. A mouthful of berries is the exception, and it may bring on vomiting or loose stools from the saponins in the fruit.
Dogs Mild
A dog can pass the leaves and nectar with no bother at all. The red berries are the part to keep an eye on, because eating a good few can lead to drooling, an upset stomach, and some diarrhea.
Horses Caution
There is no need to fear for a horse here, as honeysuckle is not a known serious poison for them. Still, the berries carry the same saponins that trouble other grazers, so gently keep a nosy horse from stripping the fruit.
Rabbits Mild
A rabbit that tastes a leaf will almost certainly be fine. The berries are another matter and can leave it with a sour tummy, so it is kindest not to hand them over as a treat.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep tend to walk right past the vine, so there is little cause for concern. If a grazer does gorge on the berries the saponins may bring mild digestive upset, so fence prized stock away from a heavy fruit set to be safe.
People Caution
A single drop of nectar sipped from a flower does nothing at all, so no worries there. The berries, though, are not food and can upset a stomach if eaten in any quantity, so gently teach children to leave the fruit be.
Birds Safe
You can welcome birds to the bright red berries with a clear conscience, since they eat the fruit with no harm and carry the seed off to plant new vines. The berries are simply part of their diet, not a danger.
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 really comes down to a handful of dependable selections, nearly all of them native trumpet types or well-behaved hybrids. These are the friendly ones worth seeking out, plus one to gently avoid.
Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler'
This much-loved native trumpet honeysuckle rewards you with a heavy flush of reddish-orange flowers that rebloom strongly and keep hummingbirds coming back all season.
Lonicera sempervirens 'John Clayton'
A tidy, compact native pick with clear yellow flowers that repeat their bloom happily and set a generous crop of red berries.
Lonicera × heckrottii (Gold Flame honeysuckle)
A fragrant, easy-mannered hybrid whose showy two-toned blooms open rose-pink on the outside with soft yellow within.
Lonicera × brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet'
An especially cold-hardy Brown's honeysuckle that flowers bright red over a long season and stays vigorous without ever getting out of hand.
Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' (Hall's honeysuckle)
This aggressive Japanese honeysuckle carries fragrant white flowers that fade to yellow, but it is discouraged or banned in many regions, so lean on the friendly natives above instead.
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 a joy to multiply, and the rooting methods hand you a flowering vine much sooner than seed does. Pick whichever fits your patience and the season, and know that any of them can work for you.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Late spring to summer (softwood/semi-hardwood) · Several weeks to a few months
Don't be nervous about cuttings, they are forgiving. Snip softwood or semi-hardwood pieces from late spring into summer, keep them nice and humid, and they root on their own over the next several weeks to a few months. This is the surest, quickest way to make a copy of a vine you already love.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One growing season
Layering is about as easy as it gets. Anytime from spring through summer, pin a low, bendy stem gently against the soil and it will root at the buried node. Let it settle for a full growing season, then cut the young plant free once it has grown roots of its own.
SeedModerate
Fall sowing or after cold stratification · A season or more
If you fancy raising it from seed, clean the seed from ripe red berries and sow in fall or give it a spell of cold stratification, since that chill is what wakes the seed from dormancy. Be patient, as it takes a season or more to reach a usable plant, which is why the rooting methods feel faster.
Myths
Every honeysuckle vine is an invasive weed that should never be planted.
Rest easy, because the plant that earned that bad name is really 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, is a well-mannered garden friend. 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