Two types of native honeysuckle vine on World Peace Native Prairie deserve active encouragement to stem the tide of overwhelming Japanese honeysuckle

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE view of Lonicera sempervirens in top two photos and Lonicera flava in lower photos on March 27, 20010, at World Peace Wetland Prairie in Fayetteville, Arkansas. See descriptions below: (Lonicera sempervirens)

Please click on images to ENLARGE videw of Loniceera sempervirens and Lonicera flava, Arkansas' two significant species off native honeysuckle.

Common Names: coral honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle Family: Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle Family)   Get link to this Profile or click for data record #64 ShareThis

A coral honeysuckle vine guards a corner of Steve's vegetable garden where it maintains a nice compact shape and never invades its neighbors' spaces.

Description Coral honeysuckle is a twining or trailing woody vine that is evergreen or tardily deciduous in mild climates. The smooth leaves are 1-3 in (2.5-7.6 cm) long and arranged opposite each other along the stem. The last two leaves at the ends of new growth are joined at their bases, cup-like around the stem and the showy flowers are in terminal clusters just beyond. The flowers are tube shaped, about 2 in (5.1 cm) long, coral red or bright orange on the outside and yellow on the inside. The fruits are orange red berries, about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) diameter. Numerous cultivars are available commercially including one with bright yellow flowers.

Coral honeysuckle flowers seem to be custom designed for hummingbirds both in shape and arrangement - no hummingbird can help but be enchanted with this beautiful vine as will you.Click to download a large version of this image.

Location Coral honeysuckle grows wild in open woodlands, roadsides, fence rows and the edges of clearings, from Connecticut to Nebraska, and south to Texas and Florida. Culture Prune coral honeysuckle back in the winter to increase flowering. Don't over-fertilize. Light: Prefers full sun, but tolerates partial sun. Moisture: Drought tolerant. Hardiness: USDA Zone 4 - 10. Propagation: Usually by seed.

Coral honeysuckle berries appear in late summer and fall to serve as a juicy food source for birds and other wildlife. Click to download a large version (800x600) of this image.

Usage Coral honeysuckle thrives in containers or in the garden. It is easy to grow, and its flashy flowers will attract ruby-throated hummingbirds and butterflies all summer long. Let it clamber over a fence or give it a trellis of its own. Many gardeners allow coral honeysuckle to climb over shrubs. Unlike its weedy relative, Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica), coral honeysuckle will not spread out of control, and its sparse vines won't strangle your prize shrubs. Features Wherever coral honeysuckle grows, ruby-throated hummingbirds and butterflies will find it. Songbirds relish the juicy fruits. This is a spectacular vine that the local wildlife will enjoy as much as you - plant some!

Lonicera sempervirens above

Lonicera flava below

Please click on images to ENLARGE view of Lonicera flava on March 27, 2010

Lonicera flava information below online at  grownative.org/plants/info.asp?id=154

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Native Plant Info

Plant Details

Lonicera Flava

Common name: Yellow Honeysuckle A twining, deciduous woody vine with tubular yellow flowers in whorls at the ends of stems April-May. Round, fleshy, orange to red berries appear in late summer. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the nectar produced by the flowers while birds and small mammals eat the fruit. Deer browse the stems and leaves.

Culture: Grow in full sun or partial shade in soil with average moisture.

Use: Grow on a trellis, arbor or fence or along the ground in a natural area. Good vine for a bird garden.

Height: 10 to 20 feet

Spread: 3 to 6 feet

Color: Medium Yellow

USDA Hardiness Zone: 5 - 8

Good Companion Plants

• Smooth Sumac (Rhus glabra)
• Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina)
• Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)
• Wild Plum (Prunus americana)

Characteristics and Attributes

Sun Exposure:

Full Sun Medium Sun/Average Shade

Season of Interest:

Mid (May - June)

Soil Moisture:

Average Moderate

Wildlife Benefit:

Food/Small Animals Butterfly Nectar

Special Uses:

Fragrant

Nature Attracting:

Butterfly Hummingbird Songbird

(Lonicera sempervirens)