Tennessee Smart Yards Native Plants
A comprehensive database of Tennessee native plants
Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle
Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet HoneysuckleLonicera sempervirensFull to part sun; medium moisture level; adapts to a wide range of soils including clay; slightly acid to slightly alkaline pH.4-15 feet height (depending on support) by 4-8 feet spread; blooms April through September; bright scarlet, slender, tubular flowers; does not fruit reliably but produces clusters of translucent scarlet berries from late summer to fall.Growth Rate: Medium to fastMaintenance: Low maintenance and easy to grow. Blooms primarily on last year’s stems so prune to shape after flowering. Infrequent disease problems; occasional insect problems.Propagation: Seed germination code C(90). Easy by cuttings.Native Region: StatewideSemi-evergreen vine with showy flowers and showy fruit. Very long-flowering period. The more sun, the more flowers. Non-invasive. Best grown on trellises, fences, arbors or pergolas. Cultivars available. Attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds; birds eat the berries.vine;sun;medium;clay |
 Photo Courtesy Katie Walberg |
Tennessee Smart Yards Native Plants 
When should these be planted? How often do they have to be pruned? Do they grow up garden netting so that the netting can’t be seen?
I would purchase live plants in spring and plant about the first of May. I had two plants which I never pruned and they eventually became a mass of tangled vines, both dead and live branches, which I cut clear back to the ground. Looking back I would prune every 2-3 years. They will need a sturdy trellis because they weigh a lot being a woody vine.