Patricia Hamilton Reed has written professionally since 1987. Honeysuckles are generally listed as being suitable for areas in full sun to partial shade. In vine form it will travel a lot farther, reaching lengths of 25 to 30 feet or more. This is especially true of fertilizers with a high proportion of nitrogen. If you've tested the soil and detected a lack of nutrients, go ahead and use some fertilizer. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is an early summer bloomer, with purple-tinged white flowers that fade to yellow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 10. Honeysuckle grows so well that little or no fertilizer is necessary in most cases. If your zone gets some frost, this can cause damage to the leaves and branches. Honeysuckle species don't all bloom at the same time. Cut it back to the ground every three to four years in the spring (or as needed) to help keep it from sprawling. A honeysuckle that is less than 3 years old may not be mature enough to produce flowers. Water your cape honeysuckle weekly if you are growing it in full sun, or just once or twice a month if it is in shade. Some sources recommend fertilizing honeysuckle lightly in early spring and again in the middle of its blooming season if plants show poor overall growth. Each pinnately compound leaf is made up of five to nine diamond-shaped leaflets. Not only is it versatile in looks but it also is easy to maintain, which makes it a perfect idea for a splash of uniqueness in your garden. After a year of regular watering, the roots should be established enough to provide drought tolerance. Cape honeysuckle is a tropical plant that thrives in hardiness zones 9–11. 9 through 11; it can survive in zone 8 with some protection. BCLiving: Why is My Honeysuckle not Flowering? Hold the Fertilizer. 3 to 10 feet tall as a shrub; 25 to 30 feet long as a vine. Cape honeysuckle bloom in late summer to early fall so if yours hasn't bloomed yet it is not a problem. It is heat and drought tolerant, but its branches and leaves tend to die back at temperatures under 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Pruning this variety in the spring would eliminate flowers. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. The name cape honeysuckle came about because the native region for this shrub is in South Africa by the Cape of Good Hope. "Full sun" is considered to be six or more hours of sun per day. It is a good idea to mulch your cape honeysuckle if there is a predicted frost. Honeysuckles that have been renovated -- cut back hard to renew growth from the base up -- may not flower for a few seasons as they recover. Once the flowers have been pollinated, long capsule fruits are produced. Apply a product such as a low-nitrogen, high-phosphorus 5-10-5 fertilizer at a rate of 1 cup per plant around the root zone of the honeysuckle and water in well. Whether they are evergreen or deciduous depends on how cool the climate gets in winter. This plant does produce suckers. Wait until after it blooms, then cut back one-third of the plant. Cape honeysuckle is a fast grower that can gain anywhere from 13 to 25 inches in its first year after a successful spring planting. Cape honeysuckle is a tropical plant and does prefer full sun. She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Michigan State University, is an avid gardener and volunteers at her local botanical garden. This aggressive grower is usually relatively problem-free, but a few things can impede flowering. Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervivens), suitable for USDA zones 4 through 9, doesn't bloom until late summer through fall, while Cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) blooms from fall into winter in zones 9 through 11 in scarlet, orange, apricot or yellow, depending on species. Best Vines to Grow on Pergolas and Arbors, 10 Shrubs That Thrive in Warm and Dry Zone 10, Sweetberry Honeysuckle (Lonicera Caerulea) Growing Profile, Weeping Bottlebrush Plant (Callistemon viminalis): Care and Growing Guide. Don't fret about the pH of your soil too much, as this plant can handle both acidic and alkaline soils. Due to its color and sweet nectar, it attracts hummingbirds. Why Won't My Honeysuckle Bloom? Common honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) blooms on side shoots that grew the previous season in USDA zones 5 through 9. Less maintenance will be needed if you are using it like a vine. Thanks for the question. While relatively little affects the production of the evergreen foliage of these rampant growers, honeysuckles planted in full sun have the most flowers. It is used as either a shrub or liana. The small, trumpet-shaped flowers may be white, yellow, pink, red or orange depending on species. There are several possible reasons for honeysuckle not flowering: Inadequate light: Full sun is generally suggested for most honeysuckle vines. Prune it in late winter to early spring. Some light shade, however, is acceptable, though shaded plants will produce fewer blooms. Honeysuckle species don't all bloom at the same time. Cape Honeysuckle comes in three color-related cultivars: Vanessa Richins Myers is a seasoned horticulturist, garden writer and educator with 10+ years of experience in the horticulture and gardening space. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Reed was editor of the "Grand Ledge Independent" weekly newspaper and a Capitol Hill reporter for the national newsletter "Corporate & Foundation Grants Alert." However, this plant also likes to vine, so consider it for your trellis or pergola. Usually, the cape honeysuckle is treated as a shrub and clipped into a box shape. A honeysuckle that doesn't bloom may just... Let the Sun Shine. A honeysuckle that doesn't bloom may just not have bloomed yet. You should also prune away branches that were damaged by frost at the start of spring. How to Prune a Pink Pandorea Jasminoides Rosea Plant, How to Grow Perennial Climbing Flowering Vines, Fine Gardening: Genus Lonicera (Honeysuckle). It is a bit misleading as this is not true honeysuckle. Due to its color and sweet nectar, it attracts hummingbirds.Not only is it versatile in looks but it also is easy to maintain, which makes it a … Honeysuckles are generally listed as being suitable for areas in full sun to partial shade. Cape honeysuckle comes in a blazing orange color that is sure to brighten up your tropical garden. You may also want to shear off faded flowers to prevent self seeding to mitigate its invasive tendencies. -- considered invasive in some states -- exist, as well as other plants with the common name honeysuckle that add color and fragrance to your yard as a fast-growing vine or shrub. Sunlight doesn't need to be constant over that time, but it should add up to a minimum of six hours -- the more the better for honeysuckles. You will just need to keep it trained on its support system. Pruning depends on the shape you've chosen. It is usually not needed, though. Other members include the desert willow, northern and southern catalpa, and jacaranda. Overall, though, this shrub should stay happy and healthy over its lifetime with little maintenance. The blooms should come soon! Please stop in again soon! Japanese honeysuckle blooms on the current season's growth, but usually only needs pruning if it has outgrown its bounds or has become leggy at the bottom. As a shrub, it can be anywhere from 3 to 10 feet tall, depending on how consistently you prune it. Real honeysuckles belong to the Caprifoliaceae family and are found in the Lonicera genus. Coccinea's flowers are bright red or scarlet. Plant of the Week: Tecomaria Capensis - Cape Honeysuckle, University of California Placer County Master Gardeners: Ask a Master Gardener - Definitions of Light Requirements, Flowering Vines: Beautiful Climbers, Issue 158; Karan Davis Cutler, University of Missouri Extension: Selecting Landscape Plants: Ornamental Vines, New Mexico State University Extension: Pruning Honeysuckle Vine, Royal Horticultural Society: Honeysuckle (Lonicera). Cutting your honeysuckle back at the wrong time or extensively can inhibit blooming as well. There may be other environmental problems like leaf scorch. It is used as either a shrub or liana. The shape of this plant depends entirely on how you let it grow, as it can either be a shrub or vine. Cape honeysuckle comes in a blazing orange color that is sure to brighten up your tropical garden. Salmonea produces orange or pink flowers. It also grows in salty locations like coastal regions and can handle gusts of wind. You may run across problems with too little or too many nutrients, which is usually most apparent in the foliage. Aside from knowing the bloom time of your species, the age of individual plants is also important. During the fall through spring (possibly the entire year), the cape honeysuckle will be covered with an abundance of orange (sometimes reddish or yellow, depending on variety) blooms in the shape of a trumpet. There aren't many problems with this plant. That color and fragrance are only possible though, if your honeysuckle blooms. Excess nitrogen leads to lush foliage, and few or no flowers. Clip them away if you don't want them to spread. Know Your Honeysuckle. If you're going for a hedge, trimming may be required on a regular basis since this grows fast. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. 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