Goldflame honeysuckle is a twining vine that transforms from spring through fall with fragrant rose-pink flowers accented by golden yellow interiors, blooming prolifically from June through October. This hybrid (likely descended from American and sempervirens honeysuckle) thrives in zones 5 through 9, growing 10 to 20 feet tall and wide depending on support and pruning. The showy blooms attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and birds while remaining completely deer-resistant, and the plant follows with decorative red berries in autumn. Low-maintenance and adaptable to full sun or partial shade, it rewards gardeners with months of fragrant color and minimal fussing.
Partial Sun
Moderate
5-9
240in H x 240in W
—
Low
Hover over chart points for details
The flowers are extraordinarily fragrant, arriving in rose-pink with sunny yellow throats and blooming in dense, terminal clusters from early summer through frost. Hummingbirds visit them constantly, and the vine can be grown either as a traditional climbing specimen or cut back annually to form a dense, shrubby mound. Even in cold zone 5 gardens, where it may struggle through winter, the effort pays off with years of reliable fragrance and pollinator traffic once established.
Goldflame honeysuckle serves as a flowering vine for trellises, arbors, pergolas, and fence lines. It can also be pruned back hard each season to form a dense, mounding shrub in smaller garden spaces. The blooms and berries attract hummingbirds and butterflies, making it a centerpiece plant for pollinator gardens. Its fragrance is a bonus feature for seating areas or pathways where gardeners pass close enough to enjoy the scent.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Goldflame honeysuckle can be grown as a twining vine without pruning, or cut back hard each season to form a dense, compact shrub. Pruning in late winter or early spring encourages vigorous new growth and maintains the shape you prefer. Light deadheading of spent flowers can extend bloom through fall. Remove any dead or damaged wood and thin crowded growth to improve air circulation and prevent powdery mildew.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.
“Goldflame honeysuckle is a hybrid, likely the result of crossing Lonicera americana with Lonicera sempervirens, creating a plant that combines the vigor of one parent with the extended bloom season of the other. The exact origins of this cross are not fully documented, but the cultivar emerged as gardeners recognized the value of a semi-evergreen honeysuckle that bloomed prolifically and filled the air with fragrance. It represents a deliberate effort to breed a honeysuckle superior to its wild parents for ornamental garden use.”