Lonicera: Honeysuckle Vine
Sweet citrusy scents waft through the breeze on a perfect summer day, hummingbirds drift to and from flowers, bees hum along...this is why we plant honeysuckle!
Plant care & info
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Genus: Lonicera – Named for German naturalist Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586)
Common name: Honeysuckle
Native to the Northern Hemisphere.
Around 180 species of deciduous or evergreen shrubs and vines make up the Honeysuckle genus.
Leaves are opposite and are often fused, forming a disc. Flowers are often tubular forming a deep throat, attracting birds and bees, and are often fragrant. Seedy fruit follows flowers.
Honeysuckles are very adaptable, enjoying many soil types and varying pH with the exception being very wet boggy soil. They thrive in full sun to part shade. Hardiness varies depending on species.
Pruning should happen directly after flowering. Vines will need training during their rapid growth phase and (at least) yearly pruning to keep them where you want them. If plants become overgrown and rangy they can be pruned hard to the ground and they will grow back with multiple shoots.
Aphids and Powdery Mildew seem to be the worst problems in Portland. Several treatments are effective and readily available.
Explore Honeysuckle
Goldflame Honeysuckle
Lonicera heckrotii: Goldflame Honeysuckle
Hot pink flower buds open to gold flowers with heavenly scent from May thru frost followed by red fruit that birds love. Purple new leaves turn blue-green in summer and drop in winter.
Grows fast to 15-20′, Sun-pt shade, Hardy Z4.
Evergreen Honeysuckle
Lonicera henryi: Evergreen Honeysuckle
Subdued coral & yellow scented tubular flowers bloom in June & July. Dark green glossy lance-shape foliage looks different than most other climbing Honeysuckles and is evergreen in Portland. Fruit is blue. Better behaved than its cousins, Lonicera henryi can get large in time if left unchecked, but can be kept to 10 feet.
Sun, part shade, Hardy Z3.
Japanese Honeysuckle
Lonicera japonica: Japanese Honeysuckle
Heavily scented white or yellow flowers cover plants in June and July and return sporadically through summer. Leaves can stay on the branches in mild NW winters. Foliage color varies; green, purple-tinged and variegated leaves are commonly available. Fruit is blue. This is invasive in some parts of the US, but it appears to behave better in Portland.
Fast-growing to 25-30′, Sun-pt shade, Hardy Z6.
Dutch Honeysuckle
Lonicera periclymenum: Dutch Honeysuckle
Pink buds open to white richly scented flowers in early summer. Green leaves.
This is the honeysuckle to grow when space is limited.
Grows 5-6′, Sun-pt shade, Hardy Z4.
