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Lonicera sempervirens
Trumpet Honeysuckle
When it comes to providing nectar for hummingbirds, trumpet honeysuckle is one of the earliest and longest blooming plants you can grow. Hummers flock to the tube-shaped deep red flowers with yellow throats as soon as they begin to bloom. Whorls of bright red fruit form in late summer. The fruit is eaten in fall by waxwings, bluebirds and a wide variety of other birds. The slender twining stems provide cover and nest sites for a variety of birds. Oval, blue-green leaves are evergreen in warmer winter climates. This is the host plant for the day-flying hummingbird clearwing moth.
Benefits
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Excellent nectar source for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies |
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Showy clusters of fragrant flowers |
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Birds dine on the red berries in fall |
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Fruits attract quail, purple finch, goldfinch, hermit thrush and robins |
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Provides great cover and nesting sites for a variety of birds |
Homeowner Growing and Maintenance Tips
Easy to grow in full sun or part shade. Foliage grows well in shade, but plants need sun for best flowering. Adapts to a wide range of well-drained soils but prefers moist, loamy soils. Grow on a trellis or some form of support because the twining stems need something to wrap around. Blooms primarily on previous year's stems, so prune to shape after flowering.
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USDA Hardiness Zone 4-9
Native Range
Connecticut to Ohio and Oklahoma, south to Alabama and Florida.
Native Trivia
Female hummingbirds usually lay two eggs which she incubates for 2 to 2 ½ weeks. After the eggs hatch, she feeds the young in the nest for about 3 weeks.
"Loads of tubular, red flowers on this long bloomer mean constant hummingbird sightings."
Characteristics & Attributes
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Plan Sub Group
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Exposure
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Soil
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Soil Moisture Preference
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Attracts Wildlife
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Bloom Time
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Habitat Collection
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Native Habitat
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Uses
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Native to
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