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colorful fall leaves of rhus aromatica
Rhus aromatica ‘Gro-Lo’ (Fragrant Sumac) Photo © Mary Free
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Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet or Coral Honeysuckle)

Lonicera sempervirens ar Green Spring Gardens in April
Using vines such as Lonicera sempervirens can save space in smaller gardens. Photo © Elaine Mills
Trumpet honeysuckle can bloom intermittently until frost.
Lonicera sempervirens in a residential landscape
The blue-green leaves of Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle) are glaucous, especially beneath.
Terminal spikes with usually glaucous peduncles (.8–2.4" long) of Lonicera sempervirens
Perfoliate leaves of Lonicera sempervirens
The vine’s fruit (berries) is a food source for birds from August to March.
A northern mockingbird perches with a Lonicera sempervirens (trumpet honeysuckle) berry in its beak in October.
Lonicera sempervirens f. sulphurea 'John Clayton’ flowers and fruit

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Lonicera sempervirens Tried and True Native Plant Selections Trumpet or Coral Honeysuckle for the Mid-Atlantic Low maintenance and showy, Trumpet Honeysuckle blooms intermittently until frost with coral flowers and red fruit often present together. A yellow- flowered form, L. sempervirens f. sulphurea, discovered in 1991 on the grounds of a 17th century Virginia church, was selected and propagated to create a more compact and floriferous cultivar, ‘John Clayton.’ The Virginia Native Plant Society selected Trumpet Honeysuckle as Wildflower of the Year in 2014. Vine Spring Vines, Fall Flowers/Fruit, w/ Pollinators** Height: 8–20 feet (‘John Clayton’ 6–12 feet) Spread: 6–12 feet (‘John Clayton’ 3–5 feet) Bloom Color: Coral to red with yellow (‘JC’ yellow) Characteristics Vigorous, twining, semi-evergreen, perennial vine Opposite, obovate, smooth-margined, blue-green leaves, glaucous, especially beneath; petiolate, sessile, or perfoliate depending on stem position Terminal clusters of opposite 3-flowered cymules; red & yellow trumpet-shaped corolla with exserted stamens/style; bloom April–June, then off & on til frost Globose, green berries mature to red August–March Attributes Tolerates clay soil and Black Walnut; no serious pests or diseases, although powdery mildew likely if air circulation is poor; deer occasionally browse foliage and stems Attracts hummingbirds, butterflies, moths, and bees to flowers & birds to berries; larval host to ~31 lepidopterans incl. Hummingbird and Snowberry Clearwing moths Growing and Maintenance Tips Soil Requirements: Loamy, well-drained soil Light Requirements: Sun, Partial Shade Excellent Replacement for Akebia quinata - Chocolate Vine Ampelopsis brevipedunculata - Porcelainberry Celastrus orbiculatus - Oriental Bittersweet Clematis terniflora - Sweet Autumn Clematis Euonymus fortunei - Wintercreeper Lonicera japonica - Japanese Honeysuckle Wisteria floribunda & W. sinensis - Asian Wisterias Water Requirements: Moist Transplants well Sunnier the site, more prolific the flowers Prune after flowering *It is native to DC, common in DE, and clustered mainly in MD’s Coastal Plain. It grows mostly in southeast PA but is found elsewhere in the state. In VA, it is frequent in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont and infrequent in the mountains. It is native to NoVA except for Loudoun County. **A ruby-throated hummingbird feeds on species flowers and a bumble bee visits L. sempervirens f. sulphurea ‘John Clayton.’ Use as climber on arbors, fences or as ground cover Hardiness: USDA Zones 4a–9b developed by Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia, serving Arlington and Alexandria Images by Elaine Mills (top left) and Mary Free, private gardens, Arlington, VA and (w/ bee) Glencarlyn Garden

A Tried and True Native Plant Selection
for the Mid-Atlantic

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Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet or Coral Honeysuckle)

Low maintenance and showy, Trumpet Honeysuckle* blooms intermittently until frost with coral flowers and red fruit often present together. A yellow-flowered form, L sempervirens f. sulphurea, discovered in 1991 on the grounds of a 17th century Virginia church, was selected and propagated to create a more compact and floriferous cultivar, ‘John Clayton.’ The Virginia Native Plant Society selected Trumpet Honeysuckle as Wildflower of the Year in 2014.

*It is native to DC, common in DE, and clustered mainly in MD’s Coastal Plain. It grows mostly in southeast PA but is found elsewhere in the state. In VA, it is frequent in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont and infrequent in the mountains. It is native to NoVA except for Loudoun County. You can view the VA counties in which it has been reported here.

Video © Mary Free
Hummingbirds favor Lonicera flowers. Just watch this video–or better yet, plant Lonicera sempervirens in your garden–and see for yourself:

Learn more about other Mid-Atlantic plants: 
Tried and True Native Plant Fact Sheets