{"title":"Honeysuckles (Lonicera)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe genus carries the name of Adam Lonitzer, a sixteenth-century German physician and herbalist, and carries a bad reputation earned entirely by one species. \u003cem\u003eLonicera japonica\u003c\/em\u003e, the Japanese honeysuckle that smothers Southern fencerows, is not in this catalog and never will be. What grows here instead is the native coral honeysuckle and a set of well-behaved garden hybrids.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLonicera sempervirens\u003c\/em\u003e is the one to plant. The vine is native across the East, blooms coral to scarlet from spring into fall, holds leaves through mild winters, and is the single best hummingbird plant most Southern gardeners can put on a mailbox or a fence. 'John Clayton' flowers clear yellow and honors the colonial Virginia botanist; 'Leo' runs deeper red. Among the hybrids, \u003cem\u003eLonicera\u003c\/em\u003e x \u003cem\u003eheckrottii\u003c\/em\u003e 'Goldflame' pairs pink buds with a yellow throat, and the winter honeysuckle \u003cem\u003eLonicera\u003c\/em\u003e x \u003cem\u003epurpusii\u003c\/em\u003e is a shrub rather than a vine, throwing small cream flowers with an outsized lemon scent in the cold months. None of these run the way the Japanese species does.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lonicera-sempervirens-leo","title":"Lonicera sempervirens 'Leo'","description":"\u003cp\u003eLonicera sempervirens 'Leo' is the coral honeysuckle at its free-flowering best, a selection of the native red honeysuckle that covers itself in bright red, yellow-throated trumpets over an unusually long season. The tubular flowers pour nectar for ruby-throated hummingbirds, which find the vine as irresistible as gardeners do, and the blue-green leaves, some fused right around the stem, make a cool foil for all that heat.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHonesty compels a small confession: the record does not show who first introduced and named 'Leo'. What is certain is the quality, a clone that flowers more heavily and more continuously than ordinary seedlings, which is reason enough to keep the selection in circulation. That free-blooming habit is why 'Leo' has become one of our best sellers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoral honeysuckle belongs to the family Caprifoliaceae, and the genus Lonicera honors the sixteenth-century German herbalist Adam Lonitzer. Native across the eastern and midwestern United States, this is the well-mannered honeysuckle, not the invasive Japanese kind that swallows fencerows, so 'Leo' can be planted with a clear conscience. Red berries follow the flowers and feed songbirds, carrying the vine's value past the growing season.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoral honeysuckle is the classic vine for a mailbox post, but 'Leo' suits almost any sunny, well-drained spot with a fence, trellis, or arbor to twine upon. Full sun brings the heaviest bloom, and once established the vine shrugs off drought and asks little beyond a light trim to shape, since flowers come on new growth. Semi-evergreen in mild winters and hardy well to the north, this is a native vine that earns the best-seller badge honestly. Photo credit to cpf1.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057914056819,"sku":"LONI-SEMP-LEO-01G","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/LONICERASEMPERVIRENS_LEO__1.jpg?v=1722189845"},{"product_id":"lonicera-sempervirens-john-clayton","title":"Lonicera sempervirens 'John Clayton'","description":"\u003cp\u003eCoral honeysuckle in a suit of gold: Lonicera sempervirens 'John Clayton' trades the fire-engine red of the species for clear, warm yellow, borne in the same neat whorled clusters at the branch tips. This is a compact, well-mannered, repeat-blooming selection of one of the finest native vines of the eastern United States, flowering from late spring through summer and often again in fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe plant carries a real pedigree. 'John Clayton' was discovered growing on the grounds of the seventeenth-century Abingdon Church in Gloucester County, Virginia, and introduced by the Virginia Native Plant Society, who named the selection for the Reverend John Clayton, the colonial botanist of that same Gloucester County. Few garden plants come with quite so much Virginia history twined around them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe honeysuckles belong to the family Caprifoliaceae, and the genus Lonicera honors Adam Lonitzer, a sixteenth-century German herbalist. One point is worth stating plainly: unlike the invasive Japanese honeysuckle that smothers Southern woodlands, the native coral honeysuckle is restrained and well-behaved, and the tubular flowers are a favorite of ruby-throated hummingbirds, followed by red berries that feed songbirds into winter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGive 'John Clayton' full sun to part shade, ordinary well-drained soil, and something to twine on, whether a mailbox post, a lamppost, a trellis, or a small arbor, since the vine climbs by twining rather than clinging. Bloom comes on new growth, so a light trim after the main flush keeps the vine tidy and coaxes another round of flowers. Semi-evergreen in mild winters, compact enough for a small garden, and native to boot, this is about as easy and rewarding as a flowering vine gets.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057914286195,"sku":"LONI-SEMP-JOHN-CLAY-01G","price":21.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/DETA-836.jpg?v=1720139405"},{"product_id":"lonicera-x-purpusii","title":"Lonicera x purpusii","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the dead of winter, when the garden asks for little and gives less, Lonicera × purpusii answers with perfume. This winter honeysuckle is a hybrid of two Chinese species, Lonicera fragrantissima and Lonicera standishii, and carries the best of both: small, creamy-white, tubular flowers that open along the bare stems from late winter into early spring, throwing a clean, lemon-sweet fragrance that carries yards on a mild day.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cross arose before 1920 at the Darmstadt Botanic Garden in Germany and has been quietly cherished ever since. Many gardeners find the hybrid a neater, better-furnished plant than the familiar winter honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, though the two share that same remarkable gift of scent in the cold months. The genus Lonicera honors Adam Lonitzer, a sixteenth-century German herbalist, and the honeysuckles belong to the family Caprifoliaceae.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a shrub rather than a vine, a large, arching, semi-evergreen mound of six to eight feet, dense enough in leaf to serve as an informal screen once the flowers have passed. The winter blooms are loaded with nectar and worked by whatever bees venture out on warm days, a real gift at a hungry season, and a scattering of translucent red berries may follow where the winter stayed mild. Unlike the weedy bush honeysuckles, the hybrid sets little fruit and seldom wanders, though a watchful eye never hurts in the mildest climates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSite the winter honeysuckle where the fragrance will be used: beside a path, a gate, a driveway, or a door that sees winter traffic, since the flowers are modest to the eye and the scent is the real event. Full sun to part shade and ordinary, well-drained soil are all the plant asks. Because bloom comes on the previous season's wood, prune right after flowering to shape and to keep the shrub open, and enjoy the cut stems indoors, where a single sprig can scent a room.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057914777715,"sku":"LONI-X-PURP-01G","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/DETA-1606.jpg?v=1720139414"},{"product_id":"lonicera-x-tellmanniana","title":"Lonicera x tellmanniana","description":"\u003cp\u003eBold, burnished orange trumpets in generous early-summer clusters make Lonicera × tellmanniana one of the most striking climbing honeysuckles ever raised. The hybrid crosses the American coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, with the large-flowered Chinese Lonicera tragophylla, and takes the best of each: vivid color, strong growth, and clean foliage, without the invasive streak of the weedy honeysuckles.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe cross is believed to have arisen in the 1920s at the Royal Hungarian Horticultural School in Budapest, and quickly won admirers for the sheer size and color of the flowers. The great British nurseryman Hillier described the vine in his Manual of Trees and Shrubs as a superb hybrid, high praise from so measured a reference. The genus Lonicera honors Adam Lonitzer, the sixteenth-century German herbalist, and the honeysuckles belong to the family Caprifoliaceae.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe tubular flowers cluster in whorls at the branch tips in late spring and early summer, coppery orange and rich in nectar for hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, though, unlike the woodbines, this hybrid carries little scent. One quirk is worth knowing: Tellmann's honeysuckle flowers best with the roots cool and shaded and the head of the vine reaching up into sun, the classic arrangement for a clematis. Deep green, paired leaves clothe the stems densely through the season.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGive the vine a pergola, an arbor, or a large trellis to climb, or let the stems scramble up through an open-branched shrub, since this is a true twiner that needs something to hold. The warm copper tones sing against cool foliage, dark evergreens, and blue or purple companions, which makes the hybrid a natural for a cottage border, a woodland edge, or a pollinator garden. Provide support, keep the roots cool, and Tellmann's honeysuckle earns the century-old reputation. Additional photos courtesy of Vision.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42057915433075,"sku":"LONI-X-TELL-01G","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/LoniceraxtellmannianaWoodlanders1.jpg?v=1743433592"},{"product_id":"gold-flame-honeysuckle","title":"Lonicera x heckrottii 'Goldflame'","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor a vine that earns a place on the fence, few honeysuckles match Lonicera × heckrottii 'Goldflame'. This is a hybrid grown for two gifts at once: bold color and a sweet, faintly citrus fragrance that hangs in the air on warm evenings. The trumpet flowers open in a blend of deep rose-pink and golden orange, like a watercolor sunset, and keep coming from late spring through early fall.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGoldflame honeysuckle belongs to the family Caprifoliaceae, and the genus Lonicera honors Adam Lonitzer, the sixteenth-century German herbalist. The hybrid name heckrottii marks a garden cross of uncertain origin, long linked in parentage to the native coral honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, which lends the trumpet flowers and the hummingbird appeal. Unlike the invasive Japanese honeysuckle, 'Goldflame' is a climber with ambition but good manners, vigorous without running wild.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe scent is the thing people remember, sweetest at dusk when the evening moths visit and, by day, the hummingbirds and butterflies come to the nectar. Set 'Goldflame' to wind through a trellis, dress up a tired fence, or soften the corner of a garden shed, and the vine repays the spot with months of bloom and perfume. The blue-green, paired leaves clasp the stem toward the tips and hold on through mild winters for a little off-season presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGive 'Goldflame' full sun for the fullest flowering and any soil that drains, even clay that is not waterlogged. Once established the vine is fairly drought-tolerant, asking only for a tidy-up prune in late winter and a structure to twine around, since honeysuckles climb by twining rather than clinging. A little romance, a little wildness, and a great deal of fragrance: that is the bargain 'Goldflame' offers. Photos courtesy of Paul Williams and Julie Weisenhorn.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43043231498355,"sku":"LONI-HECK-GOLD-01G","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/RHS_PUB0018129_7590.webp?v=1747069270"},{"product_id":"lonicera-sulphurea","title":"Lonicera ‘Sulphurea’","description":"\u003cp\u003eLonicera sempervirens 'Sulphurea' is coral honeysuckle gone golden, a yellow-flowered form of the native trumpet honeysuckle that trades the usual scarlet for clear, soft sulphur-yellow. The tubular flowers cluster in tiered whorls at the branch tips from late spring through summer, glowing against fresh green leaves so the whole vine looks sunlit even under a gray sky.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is a form of one of the finest native vines of the eastern United States. The honeysuckles belong to the family Caprifoliaceae, and the genus Lonicera honors Adam Lonitzer, the sixteenth-century German herbalist. The point bears repeating: the native coral honeysuckle, unlike the invasive Japanese honeysuckle that smothers Southern woodlands, is restrained and well-mannered, so 'Sulphurea' can be planted with a clear conscience.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuby-throated hummingbirds treat the trumpet flowers as built to order, and bees and butterflies work them too, though, like the rest of coral honeysuckle, the yellow form carries little or no scent; the draw here is color and nectar rather than perfume. Small red berries follow the flowers and feed songbirds into fall, and the repeat flushes of bloom keep the vine in color for months.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA twining vine of eight to twelve feet, 'Sulphurea' is made for a mailbox post, a lamppost, a trellis, a fence, or an arbor, climbing by winding rather than clinging, so the vine needs something to hold. Full sun brings the heaviest bloom, and once established the plant is drought-tolerant, long-lived, and close to carefree. Because flowers come on new growth, a light trim after the first flush keeps the vine tidy and coaxes more bloom. Set the soft yellow against blue-flowered companions or a dark fence for a quietly luminous effect.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Woodlanders","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43987491815539,"sku":"LONI-SEMP-SULP-01G","price":23.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0605\/7505\/5987\/files\/Lonicerasempervirensvarsulphureus_2.jpg?v=1760788168"}],"url":"https:\/\/woodlanders.net\/collections\/lonicera.oembed","provider":"Woodlanders","version":"1.0","type":"link"}