Lonicera sempervirens Linnaeus. Common name: Coral Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle. Phenology: Mar-Jul (and sporadically to Nov); Jul-Sep. Habitat: Dry forests and woodlands, maritime forests. Distribution: CT to OH and OK, south to c. peninsular FL and TX; and more widely distributed as an escape from cultivation.
ID notes: Readily distinguished by its glabrous stems and usually conspicuously glaucous leaves (the stems sometimes glandular but lacking obvious brown hairs like in L. japonica).
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: Var. hirsutula has sometimes been maintained, differing from var. sempervirens in its ciliate leaf margins, pubescent upper leaf surfaces, sometimes glandular hypanthia and stems (vs. glabrous); it is doubtful that these distinctions are taxonomically meaningful.
Other Comments: The leaves of this species persist through winter, with newly emergent (often clumped and more linear-lanceolate) flushes of leaves often visible in milder winters.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, Fl7, GrPl, GW2, Il, K4, Mi, Mo2, NcTx, NY, Pa, RAB, Tat, Tn, Tx, Va, W, WH3, WV, Ferguson (1966a); = Phenianthus sempervirens (L.) Raf. — S; > Lonicera sempervirens L. var. hirsutula Rehder — C, F, G, Rehder (1903); > Lonicera sempervirens L. var. minor Aiton — F; > Lonicera sempervirens L. var. sempervirens — C, F, G, NE, Rehder (1903). Basionym: Lonicera sempervirens L. 1753
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
- Great Plains: FAC
- Midwest: FACU
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU
Heliophily ⓘ: 6
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Horticultural Information
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Height: Climbs 8-10 ft. or more
plant sale text: Clusters of rosy red trumpet-shaped flowers adorn this evergreen vine in early summer. Its foliage is a glossy deep bluish-green and its red berries add ornamental appeal in the fall. Coral honeysuckle is a fine vine to grow on fences, trellises, or mailbox posts. You and the hummingbirds will love it! (Do not confuse this well-behaved native vine with the better-known but invasive Japanese honeysuckle.)
bloom table text: Unlike Japanese honeysuckle, coral honeysuckle is native to North Carolina and is non-invasive. It has a long bloom period, beginning in spring and continuing sporadically throughout the summer. The flowers are adored by hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees, and the fruits are an important food source for several species of bird. It may become even more valuable as more hummingbirds appear to be remaining in our area through the winter months. Coral honeysuckle also serves as a larval food for the spring azure butterfly. Excellent cultivars, Lonicera 'Major Wheeler,' known for its especially early and ample blooms and a yellow selection,'John Clayton' are two you will see here at NCBG.
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native range: eastern United States
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