Trumpet honeysuckle

Trumpet honeysuckle: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Twining climber with slender stems that wind around a support, 3–4 m tall and about 2 m wide. It does not cling to a wall by itself.

Leaves

Oval, 3–7 cm, blue-green above, greyish beneath. Below the flowers, the top pairs of leaves are fused into a disc that the stem seems to grow through.

Flowers

Whorls of narrow, tubular flowers 4–5 cm long at the shoot tips, orange-red to scarlet outside and yellow inside.

Scent

None: the flowers are unscented, unlike those of most honeysuckles.

Fruit

Small, glossy red berries in late summer and autumn. Poisonous.

Roots

Like a cool, shaded root run and moist soil.

Flowering: June–September · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March and September

Why grow it?

• A long flowering season: from June to September, with a generous first flush and new flowers appearing after that.
• A bright, warm colour you can see from a distance, on a pergola, an arch or a fence.
• Bees visit the flowers; birds eat the red berries and find shelter in the dense stems.
• Fully hardy and undemanding: it grows in sand, loam and clay, chalky soil included.
• Less rampant than some other honeysuckles, so it also suits a smaller garden.

Trumpet honeysuckle: where does it grow best?

• Sun or partial shade: with its head in the sun it flowers best, but the base is ideally in shade.
• Any ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky, ideally rich in humus.
• Moist, evenly damp soil: no prolonged drought and no waterlogging.
• A sturdy support: a pergola, fence, trellis, mesh or wires 5–10 cm away from the wall.
• Allow about 2 m of width per plant and plant at least 30 cm away from a wall.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

4 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Clematis: On the same pergola or fence, also with a cool root run. A blue or purple clematis looks lovely next to the orange-red.
• Climbing rose: Together on an arch or pergola, for flowers from June into autumn.
• Hardy geranium: At the base: keeps the roots cool and flowers at the same time.
• Lady’s mantle: A low ground cover for a cool root run, with tiny lime-yellow flowers.

Trumpet honeysuckle: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or September–October, when the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and mix in a few spadefuls of compost.
3. Set the plant 30–40 cm from the wall or post, at the same depth as in the pot and leaning slightly towards the support.
4. Untie the stems from the cane in the pot, fan them out and tie them loosely to the support.
5. Water in well straight away, even if it is raining.
6. Mulch around the base or put low plants in front to keep the roots cool.

Care

Water

In the first year, regularly in dry spells. After that, only in prolonged drought: a dry plant is more prone to aphids and mildew.

Feeding

A little compost or organic fertiliser in spring. Not too much, or you get lots of leaves and few flowers.

Mulching

A layer of leaf mould or wood chips in spring keeps the base cool and moist.

Training

Wind young stems around the support and spread them out, or everything ends up in a tangle at the top.

Spent flowers

No need to remove them: leave them and you get red berries for the birds.

Tip: Plant it with its head in the sun and its base in shade, for example behind low plants. It will flower generously and suffer less from aphids and mildew.

Trumpet honeysuckle: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and September.

When: After flowering, in September, shorten over-long stems. In March, remove dead and frost-damaged wood and, if needed, rejuvenate a bare plant.

How:

• After flowering, cut over-long and flowered stems back to just above a side shoot or to the length you want.
• In March, cut out dead, frost-damaged and weak stems.
• If the plant is bare at the bottom and a tangle at the top, cut a few of the oldest stems back to 50–60 cm above the ground in March: they will sprout again.
• Usually nothing more is needed: it needs little pruning.

Caution: A hard rejuvenation prune in March costs part of that year’s flowers. It is better to spread renovation over two or three years.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Layering

In spring or summer, lay a low stem on the ground, pin it down and cover it with a little soil. After a year it has rooted and can be cut free.

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August, take cuttings of 10–15 cm, remove the lower leaves and insert them in moist cutting compost under a plastic cover. Roots form within a few weeks.

Trumpet honeysuckle: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy, to about −25 °C: in Belgium no protection is needed.
• In mild winters it keeps some of its leaves; after hard frost it is bare until spring. Cut off frosted tips in March.
• In a large pot: stand it against a wall and wrap the pot in hessian so the roots do not freeze.

Diseases and pests

• Aphids: In spring on the shoot tips and flower buds, especially in dry weather. Ladybirds usually deal with them; otherwise hose them off. Water in dry spells.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in late summer, especially in drought and still air. Water, thin out the stems and cut off affected leaves.
• Bare at the base: Older plants become bare at the bottom. Rejuvenate in March or put low plants in front of the base.
• Few flowers: Too much shade or too much feed. Guide the stems towards the light and feed less.

Through the year

• January: Dormant. Check the support and wires.
• March: Remove dead and frost-damaged wood, rejuvenate if needed. Plant. Add compost.
• April: Plant. Mulch. Train young stems.
• May: Plant. Train stems. Watch for aphids.
• June: Flowering begins. Water in dry spells.
• July: Flowering. Take semi-ripe cuttings. Water in dry spells.
• August: Flowering. First red berries. Watch for mildew.
• September: Last flowers. After flowering, shorten over-long stems. Plant.
• October: Plant. Berries for the birds.
• November: Leaves fall; in mild years some stay on.
• December: Dormant.

Edible and useful

Not edible. The glossy red or black berries of these honeysuckles are mildly poisonous: eating more than a few can cause stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and dogs and cats fall ill from them too. They hang from summer into autumn, often at a child’s height on a climber along a fence or on a shrub. Do not confuse them with the honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea), the honeysuckle grown for its edible berries: those are elongated and blue with a waxy bloom, and ripen in May and June; the berries of these honeysuckles are red or black and are not for eating. Teach children that the berries are for the birds, and pick them off where toddlers play. Birds, however, eat them without harm. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• In its homeland it is pollinated mainly by hummingbirds, such as the ruby-throated hummingbird. Red, long, unscented flowers are typical of bird-pollinated plants: birds see red well but have almost no sense of smell.
• Sempervirens means ‘always green’. In the warm south of its range it keeps its leaves; here it is at best semi-evergreen.
• In the United States it is recommended as a native alternative to Japanese honeysuckle, which is invasive there.