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Honeysuckle (Lonicera x heckrottii), whole plant
  • Honeysuckle — close-up of leaves and flowers
  • Honeysuckle — seasonal appearance
  • Honeysuckle in a garden setting

Honeysuckle

Lonicera x heckrottii

Easy · Beginner friendly

About Honeysuckle

Goldflame Honeysuckle is a hybrid deciduous climber reaching 10-15 feet with spectacular clusters of tubular flowers in a striking combination of rosy-pink on the outside and yellow-orange inside. Blooms continuously from early summer until frost, drawing hummingbirds and butterflies. A popular US garden hybrid often sold as 'Gold Flame', it is more compact and mannerly than many other honeysuckles.

  • Fragrant
  • Climbing
  • Long-blooming
  • Pollinator-friendly
WATER
Regular
Top inch dry
LIGHT
Full sun
6+ hrs direct
HARDY
Hardy to -20°F (-29°C)
USDA hardiness zones 5–9

How to care for Honeysuckle

Watering

  • Springevery 7 days
  • Summerevery 5 days
  • Fallevery 10 days
  • Winterevery 21 days

Soil · Well-draining

  • Top dressingPine bark mulch10%
  • Main mixPotting soil + perlite 2:170%
  • DrainageLECA / gravel20%

Never skip the drainage layer — standing water is the top cause of root rot.

FERTILIZER

Balanced Feed 14-14-14

An even feed covers all three needs at once, keeping leaves, roots and blooms moving together with nothing pushed out of balance.

N33%P33%K33%
  • Nitrogen · Leaves
  • Phosphorus · Roots + Blooms
  • Potassium · Strength
  • Springevery 30 days
  • Summerevery 45 days
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At a Glance

  • Height10–20 ft (3–6.1 m)
  • Spread4–8 ft (1.2–2.4 m)
  • Flower colorPink, Yellow, Coral, Red
  • Foliage colorBlue-green, Green
  • Fruit colorRed
  • SoilLoamy, Well-drained, Neutral
  • LocationsYard

Bloom time

BLOOM CYCLE

Peak bloom

Jun–Oct

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Pink and yellow tubular flowers June to October

Fragrance

MODERATE FRAGRANCE

The flowers have a sweet vanilla-honey fragrance.

Toxicity

Humans Slight · Pets Slight

saponins

Slight

  • Fruit
  • Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating fruit.

EFFECT Mild GI upset.

NOTE Documented concern for humans: Mild GI upset.

Slight

  • Fruit
  • Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating fruit.

EFFECT Mild GI upset.

NOTE Not on ASPCA toxic list.

Slight

  • Fruit
  • Ingestion

EXPOSURE Eating fruit.

EFFECT Mild GI upset.

NOTE Not on ASPCA toxic list.

Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

History

Illustrated historical scene for Honeysuckle

Lonicera x heckrottii is a horticultural hybrid of uncertain exact parentage, thought to involve the American L. sempervirens and the European-American hybrid L. x americana (itself a cross of L. caprifolium and L. etrusca). The name commemorates the German-American horticulturist Heckrott and the cross is documented as being in cultivation by 1895. The 3-5 meter semi-woody twining vine combines the best traits of its putative parents: the bright coral-pink-and-gold two-tone tubular flowers are held in whorls at the branch tips from May through September, re-blooming on and off after the initial flush; the flowers carry a sweet vanilla-honey fragrance (absent in pure L. sempervirens); and the vine is compact and non-invasive, unlike the weedy Japanese honeysuckle.

The cultivar 'Gold Flame' (also spelled 'Goldflame') is the most widely grown form, and 'Mardi Gras' is an improved selection. It received the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Hardy to zone 5. Raised by American nurseryman Louis Heckrott around 1895 as a hybrid between L. Became a defining American garden vine of the 20th century, widely marketed as Goldflame Honeysuckle for its two-tone blossoms. Remains one of the most popular flowering vines in US nurseries.

Symbolism & meaning

What It Symbolizes

Honeysuckle carries passion through its fiery two-tone blooms of coral and gold, evoking the romance long associated with it fragrant climbing tribe. It also makes visible generosity, flowering continuously through the entire summer rather than offering a single brief flush. It is often read as a flower of sustained ardor, a vine whose meaning is that real passion is not a flash but a long, steady, scented unfolding from June to frost.

  • Passion — fiery two-tone blooms evoke romance
  • Generosity — flowers continuously all summer

Where the Name Comes From

The name Honeysuckle describes its tubular, nectar-rich flowers. Named for American horticulturist Louis Heckrott who raised the hybrid.

Uses & Fun Facts

  • Tubular flowers carry classic Honeysuckle perfume
  • Twining vine covers arbors, trellises, and fences
  • Pink-and-yellow blooms draw hummingbirds and butterflies

Related plants

More Lonicera plants

Plants with similar care

Frequently asked questions

How often should I water Honeysuckle?

In summer, water about every 5 days; in winter, about every 21 days. Adjust for heat, pot size and drainage.

How much light does Honeysuckle need?

Full sun: 6+ hrs direct. Watch the leaves — scorching or stretching means the light needs adjusting.

Is Honeysuckle toxic to cats or dogs?

Pets Slight (Dogs Slight · Cats Slight) Educational information, not medical or veterinary advice. If exposure is suspected, contact a doctor or veterinarian.

Is Honeysuckle easy to grow?

Yes — it is considered an easy, beginner-friendly plant.

When does Honeysuckle bloom?

It typically blooms Jun–Oct in the Northern Hemisphere.

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