Trumpet honeysuckle (coral honeysuckle)

About Trumpet honeysuckle (coral honeysuckle)

Trumpet honeysuckle is a twining native vine of the eastern US with clusters of red-orange (or yellow) tubes that hummingbirds love. It blooms hardest in late spring, then off and on into fall, and songbirds eat its red berries. Don't mix it up with Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), a white-to-yellow, sweet-scented vine with black berries that is invasive across much of the US and banned in New Hampshire.

Hardy in zones 4-9; it keeps its leaves in warm southern winters and drops them farther north. It is the native, non-invasive honeysuckle; the look-alike Japanese honeysuckle is highly invasive (NC State) and prohibited in New Hampshire (UNH).

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Grow it on a trellis, arbor or fence; it twines and reaches 10-20 ft. It roots from summer cuttings or layering, and seed needs 2-3 months of cold, moist storage before it sprouts (Wildflower Center).

Soil

Well-drained, evenly moist soil; it adapts to clay, loam or sand and to acid or limy soil.

Loosen the soil and work in compost; follow a soil test before adding any fertilizer.

Feeding

High-nitrogen fertilizer gives lots of leaves and few flowers (NC State).

Harvest

Blooms heavily in mid to late spring, then here and there until fall. Prune lightly right after the spring flush to shape it; heavy nitrogen gives leaves instead of flowers (NC State).

Varieties (6)

Extension and botanical-garden sources we opened document 6 cultivars.

Pests to watch for

Aphids

Diseases and problems

Powdery mildew, Leaf spot

In the kitchen

Safety: The red berries are not for people to eat (NC State). The berries of the look-alike Japanese honeysuckle contain saponins and can make people sick in large amounts (NC State).

Pets: Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA (no honeysuckle entry)