Hummingbirds love these easy-care climbers.
Hummingbirds adore honeysuckle vines, and after growing one, you will, too.
The tube-shaped flowers look great mixed in with shrubs, perennials, and annuals.
Honeysuckle vine usually goes dormant in the winter.
All parts of the honeysuckle vine are mildly toxic for pets.
Where to Plant Honeysuckle Vine
Plant honeysuckle vine in moist but well-drained soil.
As it grows, the vine needs asturdy support such as a trellis, fence, or pole.
plant the support before planting the vine to avoid damaging the roots later.
Some honeysuckle vines, such as Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), are invasive.
If in doubt, ask the garden center manager before buying.
Prepare the soil bydigging in compostor well-rotted organic matter.
Dig a hole for the plant the same size as the rootball.
Situate the vine in the hole at the same level as in the container.
Water the plant and add a 2-inch layer of mulch around the base of the plant.
In hot regions, supply some afternoon shade.
Temperature and Humidity
Honeysuckle vine grows best when the temperature is between 55F and 85F.
It prefers average or low humidity.
High humidity encourages fungal infections, likepowdery mildew.
Fertilizer
Too much fertilizer prompts the plant to develop more foliage and fewer flowers.
When you amend the soil at planting, young honeysuckle vines don’t need additional fertilizer that year.
Established plants benefit from a single system ofgeneral-purpose fertilizerin the spring.
Pruning
Some honeysuckle vines bloom on new growth, and some bloom on old growth.
No matter which kind you have,pruning away dead wooddoes no harm and makes the plant look better.
Potting and Repotting
Honeysuckle vine grows well in containers.
Select a container with excellent drainage andfill it with potting soil.
Dig a hole the same size as the rootball.
Place the honeysuckle vine in the hole and firm the soil around it.
Sprinkle a granular, balanced fertilizer such as a 10-10-10 on the soil and water it.
If it becomes necessary torepot the plant, do so in the fall while it is dormant.
Pests and Problems
Aphidsandspider miteswill feed on honeysuckle vines.
Identify and treat them quickly to prevent an infestation.
Fungi-caused cankers and powdery mildew are the result of soggy soil.
Discard or relocate the damaged plants to a better-draining part of the garden.
How to Propagate
Home gardeners can propagate honeysuckle vine via stem cuttings, layering, and seed.
Be careful not to crush the vine.
Remove the bottom sets of leaves, anddip the stem cutting in rooting hormone.
Insert the cutting into a pot filled with potting soil and place it in a warm, bright location.
Keep the soil moist.
When new growth appears, the plant has rooted.
Layering:If you have an existing honeysuckle vine, it is easy to create another one by layering.
In the spring, bend a vine to the ground.
Where it touches, carefully scratch the side that touches the soil with a knife.
Dip the area that is scratched intorooting hormone.
In time, you’ll see new growth from the buried location.
Cut the vine attached to the new plant to free it from the parent.
Seed:Seeds can be harvested from a mature honeysuckle vine after its flowers produce small berries.
Only ripe berries contain seeds, so don’t pick any green ones.
Crush the berries in a small bowl.
Separate the seeds from the flesh, rinse them in water, and put them on a paper towel.
Honeysuckle vines must go through a period ofcold stratificationbefore they will germinate.
Then, put the bag in the refrigerator for about two months.
It also provides birds with colorful red fruits.
It climbs to 25 feet and is not invasive.
Plant in zones 5-9.
‘Dropmore Scarlet’ Honeysuckle Vine
Loniceraxbrownii’Dropmore Scarlet' bears slightly fragrant crimson-red flowers all summer.
It climbs to 12 feet and is not invasive.
Plant in zones 4-9.
It climbs to 15 feet and is not invasive.
Plant in zones 6-9.
Yellow Honeysuckle Vine
Lonicera sempervirensf.sulphureabears clusters of golden-yellow flowers throughout the summer and into fall.
The blooms are followed by attractive red fruits.
It climbs to 12 feet and is not invasive.
Plant in zones 4-9.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a perennial, honeysuckle vine comes back every year.
Most varieties can live about 20 years.
Itattracts hummingbirds, butterflies, bees (including honey bees), and moths.
The bad news is that honeysuckle vine also attracts wasps and is a favorite of ticks.
Honeysuckle will bloom during its first growing season, but the optimal blooming will occur after 3 years.
