Honeysuckle Vine

The botanical name of honeysuckle plants is Lonicera and it belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. The flowers of honeysuckle vine contain edible nectar. You can pluck the flower from the vine and suck the sweet nectar from it. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle shrubs and vines. These plants are native to China, Europe and North America. They bloom profusely during the spring and summer season. This vine can be grown along a rock wall or a lattice trellis. This will surely add color to the walls of your patio or the fences. You could also use this vine for shade as the dense growth can block the sunlight.

The sweet fragrance of this beautiful vine will surely attract a lot of bees, hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden. This flowering vine produces trumpet-shaped flowers. The flowers come in several colors such as pink, purple, red, white or yellow. The leaves of this vine are oval. It also produces a fruit. In several varieties, the fruit is slightly poisonous, so make sure that you ask for a vine that doesn't produce poisonous berries.

Honeysuckle Vine

Varieties

These vines are easy to grow. Some of the vines are evergreen and some are deciduous. One of the common varieties is the trumpet honeysuckle. The botanical name of trumpet honeysuckle is Lonicera sempervirens. This variety can be found in eastern United States. The tubular blooms look amazingly beautiful. These scarlet flowers have yellow interiors. Their stems are 10-12 feet long. These can be used to beautify the trellises or fences. But unfortunately these don't produce any fragrance.

Other varieties include Goldflame, Dropmore scarlet and Japanese honeysuckle. The common honeysuckle variety produces white and pink blossoms in the summer season. The vine can grow to a height of 25 feet. Dropmore scarlet variety produces beautiful crimson flowers and the vine can reach a height of about 12 feet. Goldflame vine produces bright yellow flowers and can reach a height of 15 feet.

How to Grow this Vine

First of all, choose a location where the vine can receive ample sunshine. They should get at least 4 hours of sunshine daily. It is advisable to plant this vine in the early spring. Use fertilizer or manure to replenish the soil. This plant grows well in acidic soil. You could test the soil's pH to ensure that it is in the range of 5.5-7. Plant the vines keeping a distance of at least three feet between them. This is done to ensure that the vines have enough space to spread. To allow these vines to climb, place a trellis directly behind the vine.

As far as watering is concerned, make sure that the soil is moist during the growing season. Don't let the soil become dry. When the new growth appears, the plant should be mulched with a thick layer of leaves. Mulching is required to preserve the moisture during the summer season. During the winters, mulching with leaves protects the roots of the plant. Another aspect which shouldn't be ignored is pruning.

Since honeysuckle plants are hardy in nature, you could prune them lightly during the flowering season. You must restrict yourself to light pruning in the first two years of its growth. After that, you could proceed with heavy pruning, but that must be done only when the plant is in the dormant stage. Untangle the vines and get rid of the dead wood and old growth. Since the vines follow an aggressive growth pattern, these can encroach on other plants and hamper their growth. So, prune them to protect other plants. Another important aspect is the protection of this vine from diseases. Along with bees, its sweet nectar also attracts insects such as aphids and moths which can cause a lot of damage. Spray insecticides if you see any signs of diseases such as powdery mildew. Follow these instructions to keep this vine in a good condition.

If you want to add color to your garden and fill the ambiance with sweet fragrance, growing honeysuckle would certainly be a great idea. I am sure you will enjoy watching the bees and hummingbirds hovering over the sweet scented funnel-shaped flowers.