Honeysuckle is a stunning plant for the garden.
A lot of the fun of growing this perennial is the thrill of its fragrant trumpeting bloom that awakens the senses.
If you’re thinking about putting honeysuckle in your garden, knowing when honeysuckle blooms will guide you to honeysuckle varieties that bloom throughout the flowering season.
In This Article – We share a useful calendar and seasonal blooming guide with popular honeysuckle varieties as well as everything you need to know about growing and caring for honeysuckles in your garden.
About honeysuckle
Honeysuckles, or Lonicera, are a genus of climbing and shrubby plants most often associated with the sweet-smelling tubular flowers.
Although the wild or common honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum, is the better known, honeysuckles generally vary widely, with deciduous, evergreen, and cold-season flowering varieties found throughout the northern hemisphere.
The honeysuckle’s scent is very distinct and not only appeals to people but also appeals to important pollinators, including bees, birds, insects, moths, and butterflies, which are drawn to the nectar-rich flowers.
The deliciously scented clusters of flowers come in a spectrum of colors, ranging from:
- deep reds
- pinks
- orange
- yellow
- cream
- white
After flowering, honeysuckle produces red berries that attract wildlife, but are poisonous to humans.
When does honeysuckle bloom?
If you’ve ever trekked trails or wandered coastal paths, you’ll recognize the scent of honeysuckle as one of those delicious hints of spring.
Most varieties of honeysuckle bloom in spring, with flowers that flower and release fragrance into the summer months.
Expect honeysuckle flowers anytime from late March to May depending, of course, on the USDA plant hardiness zone the plant grows in.
Yet, some other varieties of honeysuckle provide you with blooms at different times of the year!
Depending on the varieties, these honeysuckle plants can flower anytime between March and October as we share below.
Honeysuckle bloom time charts and seasonal guide
When Honeysuckle vines bloom, they are at least as lovely as they are fragrant. With their floral and social nature, the bloom time of honeysuckle is truly a sensory delight!
If you want the sweet perfume of Lonicera’s in your garden you can select from multiple species and cultivars of honeysuckle that flower and perfume the air at different times.
This approach could provide a wonderful and memorable scent from very early spring through middle and even late summer and early winter!
The following chart lists the major species of honeysuckle and their flowering calendar, for you to choose and plant honeysuckle varieties within your home landscape.
| Time of year | Blooming honeysuckle varieties | Flowering time | USDA plant hardiness | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Spring | Early-blooming fragrant honeysuckle (L. fragrantissima) | March to April | 4 to 8 | Fragrant white blooms. Shrub height of up to 10 feet (3 meters). Considered invasive in some states. |
| Mid-spring | Belgica honeysuckle (L. periclymenum Belgica) | Late April to June | 5 to 9 | Climbing/ rambling vine with white-pink flowers. |
| Tatarian honeysuckle (L. tatarica ‘Alba’) | May | 3 to 8 | White blossoms. Potentially invasive. | |
| Yellow honeysuckle(L. flava) | April to May | 5 to 8 | Fragrant orange-yellow blooms. Shrub height of up to 20 feet (6 meters). | |
| Late Spring | Trumpet honeysuckle (L. sermpervirens) | May to June | 4 to 9 | Bold and bright orange-red blossoms. Fast climbing vine up to 15 feet (4.5 meters) tall. |
| Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica) | April to July (sometimes as long as October) | 4 to 9 | Fragrant creamy-white flowers. Long, fast-growing vines. Highly invasive. | |
| Summer | Woodbine (L. periclymenum ‘Serotina’) | July to early October | 5 to 9 | Dark red flowers with creamyellow inside. Up to 20 feet (6 meters) tall. |
| Redgold honeysuckle (L. tellmanniana) | May to August | 5 to 9 | Copper-orange flowers with a red flush. Full sun climber. | |
| Early fall | Gold Flame honeysuckle(L. heckrottii) | Late July to early October | 5 to 9 | Pink and orange tubular flowers. |
| Chinese honeysuckle (L. tragophylla) | Late August to early October | 5a to 9b | Can achieve heights | |
| Winter | Winter Flowering Honeysuckle(L. fragrantissima) | mid-December to March | 5a to 9b | Shrub with small white flowers, strong sweet fragrance. |
| Winter Beauty (L. purpusii) | Early December to early April | 5a to 9b | Fragrant white blooms |
Growing honeysuckle
There are so many great varieties of honeysuckle shrubs and vines you can add to your yard. The good news is that honeysuckle are some of the easiest flowering plants to grow, so everyone can do this!
Here are some tips on creating honeysuckle in your backyard so you can enjoy it’s fragrant flowering year after year.
When should I plant honeysuckle?
In the spring, a little after the last frost, is the best time to plant honeysuckle.
You should pick a honeysuckle that is varietally suited to your climate by checking the USDA plant hardiness zones for the plant.
Honeysuckle varieties usually grow well in the USDA plant hardiness zones, usually between zones 5 and 9.
In general, deciduous honeysuckle varieties should be planted closer to the last frost date, in comparison to evergreen honeysuckles, which may require a little more warmth in the soil.
Honeysuckle growing conditions
One sure thing is that honeysuckle plants are very easy to care for.
In fact they can get out of control and become a nuisance in some states, however, they can benefit from a location where there is sun and good drainage.
Most spring-flowering types require full sun to flower properly, but some can manage in some shade.
Your soil should be well drained and slightly alkaline (pH 5.5 to 8). A handful of fertilizer or rich compost or well-rotted manure placed in the planting hole should get your honeysuckle off to a good start.
Honeysuckle Loves Support – and you should definitely give it something to grow into. Leave up to a foot (30 centimeters) between your honeysuckle plant and whatever support you’re allowing it to grow into.
Your honeysuckles will happily use pergolas, trellis, frames, or even the side of a building.
To train your honeysuckle plants, tie them nice and lighty using some gentle elastic plant ties.
Caring for your honeysuckle plants
Honeysuckle is pretty low maintenance, but a few things can be done to keep it tidy and flowering well.
Your honeysuckle should be watered liberally when it’s hot summers but make sure it is not in soil that sat, is well drained.
Mulching can help the water in the soil around the plant retain during very hot weather or during draught. Once the temps fall, you should reduce watering, to avoid waterlogged soil that can rust the roots and rot your plant.
You do not need to be hardcore about pruning honeysuckle, use pruning to contain and shape the plant, especially if it spreading wildly.
You can cut back any dead or damaged stems anytime of year, cut above the leaf node.
Remember- Don’t prune the side shoots that would be removing your flowers. Pruning honeysuckle works best when it is slowing growth after flowering or into late fall.
Honeysuckle can weather winter, but your spring and summer flowing plants might need a little more care in cool-weather months to survive.
To get your honeysuckle ready for winter, take the time to prune diligently at the end of flowering season and mulch around the plant stem and root.
You can feed your honeysuckle compost, well-rotted manured or fertilizers every spring for an easy good flowering.
Rounding up
Honeysuckle is a lovely plant to add to your garden and it’s quick and easy to establish.
Once planted, it will take up to three years to reach its flowering potential but once it’s ready your honeysuckle will be a treat every year.
If you want to know how to prolong your fragrant honeysuckle flowers, the answer is to plant your honeysuckle where it can enjoy maximum sunlight, not shade.
Honeysuckle needs a minimum of six hours of sunlight a day to produce its best flowers.