Fundamental Facts
HARDINESS: Zones 4 to 9
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Slightly acid
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Average
PREFERRED LIGHT: Partial shade to sun
ATTRIBUTES: Fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers in red, yellow, white, pink; for trellises
SEASON OF INTEREST: Spring to fall
TYPE OF VINE: Deciduous or evergreen perennial; climbs by twining
FAVORITES: L. x heckrottii 'Gold-flame', L periclymenum 'Serotina Florida'
QUIRKS: Re-blooming depends on pruning and culture
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Makes a good background for sun-loving perennials
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Sites where roots are in shade and the foliage is in partial shade or sun
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Neglected vines may overgrow their supports
RENEWING PLANTS: Vines live many years; prune back hard in midsummer or early spring
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Excellent
SOURCE: Bedding plants
DIMENSIONS: 10-45 ft (3-13.7 m) long
Honeysuckle in the Landscape
Because of its sweet scent, honeysuckle is always welcome when grown near a terrace, porch, or any outdoor living area where you can drink in the fragrance. Or let honeysuckle ramble over an old tree stump, cover an arbor or pergola, or trail over a fence, where its colorful flowers can enliven the landscape.
Hummingbirds enjoy the nectar of this old-fashioned flowering vine, as do butterflies. Many cultivars of honeysuckle perform best in partial shade, although they can handle more sun in cool-summer areas. Honeysuckle, which twines around any support, is ideal for growing on a mailbox or lamppost, or you can install a trellis to help it cover a wall. Because cultivars vary in size and vigor, be sure to choose one that fits the space you want to fill.
All in the Family
Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) is a vigorous American native with showy orange-red or yellow flowers on vines that can grow to 45 ft (13.7 m) long.You can easily control its size by cutting it back annually. More fragrant and willing to bloom intermittently from spring until late fall is salmon-flowered L. x heckrottii 'Goldflame', which grows 12 ft (3.7 m) long and is a top performer for porch pillars. Heavy-blooming and highly fragrant, cultivars of L. peridymenum will bloom repeatedly with proper care. Look for the 30 ft (9.1 m) long, yellow-flowered, 'Graham Thomas' or the 15 ft (4.6 m) long, red-and-white 'Serotina Florida'.
Growing Honeysuckle
Plant honeysuckles in spring in cold climates. In Zones 7 to 9, you can also set them out in the fall. Honeysuckle thrives where its roots are shaded, but the vines can climb into sunlight.
Loosen the soil to a depth of 18 in (45.7 cm) and work in a 3 in (7.6 cm) layer of organic matter, such as composted manure. Set plants at the same depth at which they grew in their containers and cut them back to 12 in (30.5 cm) to encourage branching. Water as needed to keep the soil barely moist for the first growing season and mulch with a 2 in (5.1 cm) layer of shredded bark, dried leaves, or pine needles to help keep the soil around the roots cool and moist.
Fertilize established vines each spring with an all-purpose controlled-release fertilizer according to label directions. To encourage re-blooming, drench the roots in midsummer with a balanced-formula liquid fertilizer as directed on the label.
Remove older shoots in spring. Spring pruning encourages later flowering. If earlier flowering is desired, wait to prune until after the plants bloom in late spring or early summer. With re-blooming cultivars, prune plants lightly after any flush of flowers to help force out new growth.These vigorous vines are rarely if ever bothered by either pests or diseases.
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