American Honeysuckle (Lonicera)
Vines & Climbers
- Fragrant honeysuckle great for covering walls, fences, & trellises.
- Low-maintenance, deer-resistant, & pest-free.
- Blooms late spring through early fall, giving way to red berries.
- More shade-tolerant than other honeysuckle varieties.
- Zones 6-9, sun/part sun, up to 20-25’ x 3-4’ at maturity.
ZONE
EXPOSURE
HEIGHT
Description
Details
Common name: American honeysuckle, American woodbine
Zone: 6-9
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: Up to 20-25’ x 3-4’ at maturity
Flower color: Pink, purple, red & yellow
Foliage color: Green
Bloom season: Summer
Bloom time: Summer
Features: Heat tolerant, fragrant, deer resistant, low maintenance, pollinator-friendly
Uses: Container gardening, cottage gardening, pollinator gardens, trellises, vines and climbers
How to Grow
Light: Part sun (> 6 hours sun) is best for American honeysuckle, but can also grow well in full sun environments.
Water: Once established, the plants need only moderate watering unless the summer is very dry. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions but will not tolerate standing water.
Spacing: 4-5 ft
Fertilizing: Honeysuckle grows so well that little or no fertilizer is necessary in most cases. If planted in poor soil, you can apply organic or slow-release low nitrogen, high phosphorus 5-10-5 fertilizer in spring (after the first growing season).
Winterizing: Consider applying mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder zones.
Maintenance & pruning: Only lightly prune plants until they are well established. Best pruned in late winter or early spring once the threat of extreme cold has passed, and the plant is still dormant. If mature vines have become woody and overgrown, you can rejuvenate by pruning one-third of the older stems to the soil. To shape the vine, cut back overly long stems to keep the desired shape, and cut out any weak, spindly growth.
Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:
Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:
Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.