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Honeysuckle
Lonicera
Honeysuckle blooms from May through August.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Honeysuckle
Plant it in full sun. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 4–9. Expect it to reach about 13 ft tall and 6.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 3 years (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Honeysuckle
Plant Honeysuckle in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 4 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to August.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Honeysuckle get?
13 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult6.5 ftwideSee Honeysuckle in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Honeysuckle
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Honeysuckle about 6.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Honeysuckle to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Honeysuckle's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 9 published sources on July 30, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Missouri Botanical GardenLonicera alseuosmoides, honeysuckle vineheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenLonicera sempervirens, trumpet honeysuckleheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenLonicera caerulea, sweetberry honeysuckleheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenLonicera caerulea 'Kiev #8' BLUE VELVETheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenLonicera caerulea 'Blue Moon', honeyberryheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical GardenLonicera caerulea 'Borealis', honeyberryheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionLonicera, the genus entryheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Utah State University ExtensionLonicera x heckrottii 'Goldflame'height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterLonicera sempervirensheight, sun and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 4 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
Compare every color in the Honeysuckle group
Every figure is the color's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Name | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dutch Woodbine | White | May–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 16 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Goldflame | Pink | May–Aug | Zones 5–9 | Full sun | 13 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Honeysucklethis page | Orange | May–Aug | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 13 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Major Wheeler | Red | May–Aug | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 10 ft × 6.5 ft |
| Scentsation | Yellow | May–Aug | Zones 4–9 | Full sun | 13 ft × 6.5 ft |
Good to know about Honeysuckle
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
Some berries are mildly toxic in quantity: saponins cause vomiting, diarrhea and stomach pain. No reported human deaths, but keep the berries from children and pets. per NC State
Worth knowing
Flower form predicts the visitor: coral honeysuckle's red, scentless trumpets are built for daytime hummingbirds, while fragrant white-to-yellow flowers draw night-flying hawkmoths. per NC State and USDA
Native vs invasive species
The common name covers very different plants. Plant native coral honeysuckle (or Goldflame and woodbine cultivars); avoid invasive Japanese honeysuckle and the Asian bush honeysuckles. per NC State
Full sun does double duty
Full sun gives the most flowers and, with good airflow, suppresses powdery mildew, which favors shade and crowding. One sunny, open trellis solves both. per NC State and UC IPM
Blooms for a long season
Coral honeysuckle flowers from mid-spring through summer, roughly March to July, with a heavy spring flush and scattered rebloom after. A long season is a honeysuckle trait. per NC State
Aphids: the pest to watch
Aphids are the main pest, clustering on new growth. Blast them off with a strong water spray, tolerate their predators, or use insecticidal soap. Few other serious pests. per NC State
Hollow stems flag invaders
A field ID trick: snap a stem. Invasive Asian bush honeysuckles have hollow pith inside; native honeysuckles have solid pith. per Penn State
What pairs well with Honeysuckle
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Aster
Shares full sun and moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Perennial Sunflower
Shares full sun and moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Goldenrod
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Eastern Redbud
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Maiden Grass
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in early fall as this one finishes; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds; lower at 6 ft, for the front of the border.
Winterberry
Shares full sun and moderate to high water; blooms in mid fall, extending the bed's season; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; lower at 6.5 ft, for the front of the border.
Witch Hazel
Takes full sun to part sun and moderate water; blooms in late winter, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; lower at 10 ft, for the front of the border.
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