woodland vine

Coral honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Native to much of the USA

Southern Maine to Florida and eastern Texas; scattered inland to Illinois, Zones 6 to 9

Light Full sun to part shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Moist Moisture preference
Zones 5–10 Cold to heat range
Bloom Mar–Jun Flowering time
Height up to 20 ft to 6.1 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A woodland vine for full sun to part shade and evenly moist soil. Its red and yellow flowers peak in April. At up to 20 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 5–10.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

When it blooms

The Coral honeysuckle's red and yellow flowers bloom March to June, peaking in April. This spring display draws bees and butterflies.

Coral honeysuckle blooms red & yellowFoliage

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee +17 more
American Bumble Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee, Two-spotted Longhorn Bee, Fuzzy-Horned Bumble Bee, Southern Carpenter Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Sitka Bumble Bee, Sunflower Mining Bee, Cherry Mining Bee, Agile Longhorn Bee, Ceratina dupla, Osmia conjuncta, Nomada affabilis, Illinois Cuckoo Sweat Bee, Milwaukee Mining Bee, Andrena miserabilis
Butterflies Monarch

also Pearl Crescent, Gray Hairstreak, Spicebush Swallowtail +5 more
Cloudless Sulphur, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, Funereal Duskywing, Phoebis philea, Zebra Longwing
Wasps Eastern Yellowjacket also Four-toothed Mason Wasp, Red-marked Pachodynerus Wasp, One-banded Mason Wasp
Also visited by
- Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Moths: Snowberry Clearwing, Hummingbird Clearwing
- Flower flies: Eastern Calligrapher, Palpada meigenii
- Beetles: Downy Long-horned Beetle

Butterflies that use this plant

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USAUnited States (30): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WV. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Southern Maine to Florida and eastern Texas; scattered inland to Illinois, Zones 6 to 9The same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to part shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: MoistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 5–10 · Canadian 6–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Various soils, but rich preferred. Sandy, Sandy Loam, Medium Loam, Clay Loam, Clay, Caliche type. Both lime and acidic OKThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 6.0–8.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: MediumHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 20 ft (to 6.1 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ClimbingIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 10+ in (25+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: VineWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: Mar–JunWhen it flowers.
Flower color: Red, YellowThe bloom color, or colors.
Fruit/Seeds: ripens Apr–OctThe seed or fruit it sets after flowering.
Toxicity: None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: SlowWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.