How to Grow and Care for Coral Honeysuckle

Coral honeysuckle produces beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers in red, coral, orange, or yellow. The plant is native to the southeastern United States and is a perfect alternative to invasive honeysuckle species such as Japanese honeysuckle. The flowers of coral honeysuckle attract hummingbirds and butterflies, while its red, inedible berries in the fall attract songbirds.

The oblong, paired leaves at the upper end of the vines are connected, creating the appearance of one leaf. Mature vines have papery, orange-brown bark that complements the orange-red flowers. Coral honeysuckle is a semi-evergreen—evergreen in warm climates and deciduous in colder
regions.

Plant coral honeysuckle in the spring or fall.

Coral Honeysuckle Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing coral honeysuckle:

• Plant it in a location with full sun and well-drained soil.
• Water young plants until they are established.
• Fertilize once in the spring with a slow-release complete fertilizer.
• Install a trellis to grow it as a climbing vine.
• Prune as needed after the bloom.

Light

Providing this plant with full sun will produce the best blooms. Though it grows in part shade, the plant will not flower as abundantly.

Soil

Coral honeysuckle needs well-draining soil. As long as this need is met, this plant adapts to a variety of soil conditions. If the soil does not drain well, add compost before planting. Coral honeysuckle prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil (pH 5.5 to 7).

Water

Regular watering will help promote healthy blooming and is most important for young, establishing plants. Established plants are very drought-tolerant. Depending on the precipitation in your area, you might not have to water the plant

Temperature and Humidity

These native vines tolerate both heat and cold. Coral honeysuckle withstands hard frosts and winters down to USDA Zone 4. It prefers medium humidity levels, as high humidity can foster the spread of fungal diseases.

Fertilizer

Fertilize coral honeysuckle once in the spring with a complete, slow-release fertilizer. Excess nitrogen, such as from lawn run-off, causes the plant to produce more foliage than flowers.

Types of Coral Honeysuckle

• ‘Alabama Crimson’: This is a cultivar with crimson flowers, dark blue-green leaves, and red berries in late summer. It grows 10 to 20 feet long.
• ‘Cedar Lane’: The long, tubular, trumpet-shaped, red flowers with yellow throats make this cultivar stand out.It grows 12 to 20 feet long.
• Lonicera sempervirens f. sulfurea ‘John Clayton’: A naturally occurring variety, 'John Clayton' was discovered in Virginia. It has pale yellow flowers and red berries in late summer to early fall. It grows 6 to 12 feet in height.
• ‘Major Wheeler’: One of the most popular cultivars, it has reddish-orange flowers all summer long and into fall. The stems are often red to purple when young and turn greenish-brown with age. This fast-growing vine reaches only 6 to 10 feet in height.
• ‘Leo’: This is a long-blooming variety of coral honeysuckle with lots of bright orange-red flowers and blue-green leaves that occasionally encircle the stems.

Pruning

Coral honeysuckle only needs pruning to maintain its desired shape or size. The best time to prune is after the bloom so you don't accidentally remove any flower buds.

Propagating Coral Honeysuckle

Propagation is easily done with softwood cuttings (new growth) in late spring or summer.

1. Using sharp pruners, cut a 6-inch piece of softwood vine, ideally with two nodes near the cut end and two sets of leaves at the tip of the cutting.
2. Remove the bottom sets of leaves and dip the cut end in rooting hormone.
3. Insert the cutting in a small pot filled with damp potting mix, deep enough so the two nodes are buried.
4. Place the pot with the cutting in bright light away from direct sunlight. Keep it moist.
5. As new growth appears, check for root growth by gently tugging, if there is resistance, roots have formed. Leave it in the pot and keep it well=watered for at least another month before transplanting it into the landscape in the fall.

How to Grow Coral Honeysuckle from Seed

If you would like to propagate coral honeysuckle from seed, note that only seeds of the species Lonicera sempervirens will produce clones. The seeds of cultivars won't produce plants that are true to the parent. Growing

1. Remove the flesh from the berries, After you have isolated the seeds, place them in a plastic bag with a damp paper towel and store them in the refrigerator for about three months to mimic the required cold stratification.
2. Pant the seeds on small pots filled with well-draining, damp potting mix. Cover the seeds lightly.
3. Place a clear dome or plastic bag or over the seeds to retain moisture.
4. Keep the soil moist. Once the seeds have germinated, remove the cover.

Potting and Repotting Coral Honeysuckle

To grow coral honeysuckle in containers, be sure to choose a container with good drainage holes. Fill it with well-draining potting soil and keep in mind that container plants need more frequent watering, especially in hot weather.

When the roots fill the pot and no longer have room to grow, repot the plant to a container one size up with fresh potting soil.

Overwintering Coral Honeysuckle

Because coral honeysuckle plants are cold tolerant and withstand hard frost, there is not much required to overwinter these plants. Planting them near structures such as fences or trellises shelters them from damaging cold winds. Additionally, adding mulch in the fall insulates the root system in subzero winters.

Coral honeysuckle in containers needs to be winterized, as the roots are insufficiently insulated against the cold.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Coral honeysuckle is not often troubled by serious pests or diseases but the vine attracts aphids. In hot and humid summer weather, it is prone to get infected with powdery mildew and leaf spots. Good air circulation reduces the risk of fungal diseases.

How to Get Coral Honeysuckle to Bloom

Bloom Months

Depending on the climate, coral honeysuckle blooms as early as March and as late as June. Some varieties sporadically bloom again later in the summer or early fall.

What Does Coral Honeysuckle Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The trumpet-shaped flowers grow in whorled clusters at the end of the stems. The flowers of the species are 2 inches long and red with yellow throats but there are also cultivars with other flower colors. The flowers are usually non-fragrant.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Planting coral honeysuckle in a location with full sun ensures the best bloom.

• How aggressive is coral honeysuckle?

  Coral honeysuckle is not aggressive and by no means invasive like its Asian counterparts, such as Japanese honeysuckle.

• Does coral honeysuckle need a trellis?

  Yes, although coral honeysuckle can also be grown as a trailing groundcover, it greatly benefits from a trellis for support. Growing it as a climbing vine on a trellis is a great way to display the abundant flowers. Gently help the vine wrap around the trellis as it grows, or lightly tie it to the trellis with twine.

• Why is honeysuckle bad?

  Not all honeysuckles are bad, there is a big difference between invasive Japanese honeysuckle that you should never plant (and remove from your yard) and the native honeysuckles with high value for wildlife, such as coral honeysuckle, and northern bush honeysuckle.

From: thespruce