Honeysuckle - Invasive Vine With Brilliant Fragrant Flowers
Honeysuckle is an invasive vine. This plant
family has different species. One of the most
popular today is the
Japanese variety.
The plant is native to China and will grow in many
other countries, as well as zones four through nine
in the United States. The vine can mature to thirty
feet long. It thrives in wooded areas.
This plant loves full sun, but can also take partial
shade. Great specimen that has a duel purpose. One of the greatest assets is the spectacular
fragrant flowers that emerge in mid spring. The
flower continues to blossom until the fall season.
Around dusk the blooms will open and the fragrance
is at its strongest level. In many zones you will find
this plant intertwined in and around front porches,
mailbox, decorative wall, or a trellis.
Honeysuckle is a great accent in many style gardens.
The other purpose is it is known to help on banks
and slopes for erosion. Although it is native in
woodland areas, due to its nature of being invasive,
the plant can take over trees and bushes and eventually
choke them out. You can grow this plant from seeds or take cuttings
from the roots or stem.
It loves an acid base soil
and should be watered regularly. This specimen is
considered semi evergreen to evergreen in warmer
climates and deciduous in colder regions. It is also
considered a low maintenance plant with the few pests.
Aphids will sometimes infest Honeysuckle.
Hummingbirds
are especially attracted to the fragrant flowers.
Bluebirds, Purple Finch, Robins, Juncos, and White
Throated Sparrows are just a few birds that love
the seeds and fruit of this specimen. There are
other varieties of this plant grown in
many geographic locations. The
tropics,
and especially in Mexico grows
Mexican Honeysuckle. This specimen
does well in zones twelve and thirteen.
It takes on a light green foliage and has
brilliant orange tubular flowers. The
Scarlet
variety grows well in zones three through eight.
It produces lush red blossoms and is
considered a deciduous vine. It can grow
nine to twelve feet high and around ten to
eleven feet wide.
The
Himalayan
is well known in Australia and produces
striking maroon tone flowers. The blossoms
open up in mid summer and create a wealth
of fragrance and beauty until autumn sets in.
It can mature to around seven to ten feet high
and five to eight feet wide.
Honeysuckle is one of the most showy flowers
and incredible smelling vines. Make sure if you
are planning to plant some of this specie, you
put it in an area where it will have room to
spread. In zone seven where I live it is
one of the most striking vines
along natural settings. In the
scenes in nature section,
many of these destinations will have
this plant scattered throughout
the forests and trails. Honeysuckle
will add a lot to your natural or
planned landscape.
