Honeysuckle Vines

Lonicera japonica / periclymenum / x heckrottii / x brownii / x tellmanniana / caprifolium

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Climbing Plants - Summary

Lonicera x heckrottii

Lonicera x heckrottii, shaded with a rock

Island of Usedom / Mecklenburg: The knotty walking sticks of the travelling journeymen carpenters are made from very young tree trunks which had been entwined and strangled by the native Lonicera, resulting in rather quirky shapes.

The Honeysuckles are particularly liked for their blossoms and fragrance, however, they are fussy in terms of position and water provision. Nevertheless, if selected properly, they are  invaluable for façade greening. Details about the various species see below.

Requirements

A normally sunny to semi-shaded Position rather than full sun exposure. In full shade plant tends to become bare and may also become susceptible to mildew. Fresh to moist, nutrient rich and even heavy, clayey garden soils with some humus. The rootstock needs to be protected from changes in temperatures and from drying out, hence it should be shaded, for example with a large rock. Positions with a high humidity (eg along coastlines and inland lakes), a high groundwater level (river-flood plains) and protection from wind promote growth. Lack of water in a hot position leads without fail to heavy louse infestations.

Growth and Leaves

Twiner, moderate growth habit, light to medium stem formation. New shoots appear early, foliage from April to October; the "Evergreen or Henry's Honeysuckle" is described separately. Some Lonicera species grow like shrubs.

Flower and Fruit

Commercially available are usually the species and hybrids with abundant, long-lasting blossoms; the native species being less in demand. Flower clusters depending on species either white, creme, yellow to orange, pink and red. Black, red or orange - mostly slightly poisonous - berries follow later on; bird food in autumn. Some species exude a heavy perfume in the evening and morning.

Growth Support Systems

Rods or wire ropes with horizontal support ropes to prevent collapsing, horizontal rods or similar.. fence mesh, pergolas, arbours etc.. For suitable support systems refer below.  Light and  Medium Support Systems but better Heavy Duty Support Systems.

Pruning

Cutting back into the old wood to approx. 0.5 m height, before the young shoots appear, is necessary for at least some selected stems to prevent the plant from becoming bare. A summer cut into green shoots is unproblematic and encourages branching.

Such a lush and vigorous honeysuckle (L. tellmanniana) is rarely seen.

Welcome to the Middle Ages! A "Redgold" honeysuckle magically transforms these backyards on a mill stream..

Suitable growth support systems for Honeysuckle

Please click on the graphic illustrations !

 = suitable

 = limited suitability

 = not suitable

Lonicera periclymenum

(European or Common Honeysuckle; Woodbine)

Abundantly flowering hybrid of Lonicera periclymenum

Honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum on a climbing rod.

Abundantly flowering  common or European honeysuckle on a wooden trellis

Mid July: the first batch of flowers is coming to its end.

Lonicera periclymenum, indigenous form. In all types of this group, the last leaf pair is not fused, and the flower whorls are always petiolate.

The varities of the native form have pink-violet buds, making the flower wall more colourful, very similar to L. x heckrottii.  In summer, flowers and berries of varying degrees of maturity, even to the dark red and fully ripe berries, can be seen side by side. Wilting flowers and berries are slightly sticky.

Fading honeysuckles Lonicera periclymenum (yellow colouring of flowers), passageway at a multi-storey carpark on a mill stream, with a pair of wire ropes on every post. When grown in pots as shown here, plants and soil have to be replaced about every 4 years. Poster

This is the only truly indigenous honeysuckle, which can be found eg in Jutland or in the coastal forests along the Baltic Sea. Commercially available are almost without exception the more abundant, more striking and long flowering cultivars of the indigenous honeysuckle, usually with lush dark green foliage, such as "Serotina", "Belgica" and "Thomas Graham." Flowering time from June to September, after this initial main flowering, plants may flower again in batches.

In comparison with the very similar cultivars of L. x heckrottii, the indigenous L. periclymenum grows more vigorously, is a stronger twiner and can be trained to greater heights. Lovely fragrance!

Lonicera periclymenum, northeast wall, after the first major blossoming time in mid July

The native common or European honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum near Baabe / Ruegen / Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Common or European honeysuckle growing on a woven fence / visual barrier

Lonicera x heckrottii

(Pink Lemonade Honeysuckle)

Lonicera x heckrottii on a wire trellis

Lonicera x heckrotti

Lonicera x heckrotti "Goldflame"

Lonicera x heckrottii, here "Gold Flame:" the upper leaf pairs are not fused to a perfectly round disc, but are fused more or less at the leaf base.

The flower whorls have usually quite long stalks and grow often in several layers on top of each other. During the first flowering time, new small shoots already appear from the leaf axil with further flower buds, a process which can continue until the first frost.

Very fragrant hybrids with abundant, extremely long-lasting and magnificent flower display from June to October, if given optimal care. These plants tend to twine and grow slightly less vigorously than those of Lonicera periclymenum, and the foliage is of a slightly lighter colour. They develop into a more shrubby form. Well known hybrids are "Gold Flame" and "American Beauty."

Very tall Pink Lemonade Honeysuckle on support wires.

Lonicera x heckrottii "American Beauty" on a metal trellis to approx. 4m height.

Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle)

Lonicera japonica on cast iron trellises.

Detail to photo above

Dense Japanese honeysuckle on a low staircase balustrade.

Lonicera japonica, probably "Halliana." The flowers always grow in pairs from the axil of the uppermost leaf pairs, often in conjunction with some small side shoots. The leaf pairs are not fused.

There are also red-white forms, here probably Lonicera japonica "Purpurea"

Lonicera japonica overgrowing and "prettying up" a woven fence.

This is a very old, robust garden plant from Asia with several hybrids such as "Halls Prolific;" "Halliana" is possibly even the original species. Vigorous growth to 10m height, long flowering from June to September (October), heavy fragrance, and foliage often continues to be green in winter.

Lonicera japonica on two wire ropes fixed at the top, before flowering

Lonicera japonica on a trellis

Dichte Geißblatthecke auf einem Stabgitterzaun

Lonicera x brownii (Brown's honeysuckle)

Lonicera x brownii on wire rope system

Lonicera x brownii " Dropmore Scarlett:" striking are the long, slender flowers in strong red hues. The upper leaf pairs are fused to a disc, flower whorls are petiolate.

A group of smaller, but strikingly red flowering hybrids, long flowering period from May to August with optimal care. L. x brownii can be regarded at least as semi-evergreen (foliage until November / December). These honeysuckles are appreciated for their exceptional flower colours and are ideal for low espaliers or trellises due to their weaker growth habit. Well known are "Dropmore Scarlett" (more vigorous growth) and "Fuchsioides" (weaker growth, shorter flowering period). A nutrient rich soil is essential. No fragrance!

Lonicera x brownii on a wooden trellis

Lonicera x tellmanniana (Redgold honeysuckle)

Redgold honeysuckle after flowering, on two vertical ropes, river adjacent to walking path.

Three gigantic honeysuckles L. x tellmanniana on single wire ropes, after blossoming, south wall, in the vicinity of a river

Redgold honeysuckle Lonicera x tellmanniana: the abundant flower whorls appear always on stalks at the top leaf pairs, which are fused to a disc shape.

Flowering Redgold honeysuckle on a white wooden trellis. Unfortunately the flowering time of this species lasts for a few weeks only.

A particularly strong and tall growing, large-leaved hybrid from Hungary. Abundant and intense blooming, however only during a very short time from May until the end of June. Ornamental dark leaves, at times with a purple tinge. Also suitable for shade. No fragrance!

Erfurt / Thueringen, flowering Redgold honeysuckle near a river (clayey soil, groundwater)

Lonicera caprifolium (Sweet Woodbine)

Honeysuckle pergola above a fountain

Healthy sweet woodbine Lonicera caprifolium along a wood shed during flowering

Lonicera caprifolium, the old "pergola honeysuckle." The upper leaves are fused into a disc, and the flower whorls develop directly and without stalks from the leaf axils. In autumn, the berries may form orange coronas.

This species originates from South Europe and Asia and is a very old garden plant with many varieties. In some parts of Germany it has become naturalised. Of all species, this one has the strongest and probably most pleasant fragrance, especially in the evening. Flowering period May / June (July), with potential second blossoming in autumn. "Major" was a yellow-red variation and flowered a little later, "Anna Fletcher" flowers yellow-white and a little longer into July. Based on the short flowering period, this honeysuckle has been pushed out of the nurseries and is now an enthusiast's species.

After the intense flowering this robust species leaves a rather modest impression.