How to Grow and Care for Goldflame Honeysuckle

The goldflame honeysuckle (Lonicera x heckrottii) is a vining perennial with bi-color tubular blooms and oval-shaped shiny leaves is perfect for ornamental use on fences, arbors, and trellises. The goldflame honeysuckle, a hybrid cross of Lonicera americana and Lonicera sempervirens, loves sunlight and require 6 hours of sun, but they can still thrive in lightly shaded spots in slightly acidic to neutral soil.

Goldflame honeysuckle is semi-evergreen in warmer climates and deciduous in colder zones. Left untouched, the fragrant vine can climb rapidly, as high as 15 feet. With some thoughtful pruning, you can shape it into a billowy shrub that can reach up to 6 feet high, making it an ideal landscaping hack if you need some privacy.

The name itself, honeysuckle, is enough to describe the sweet nectar that come from the tubular blooms, which peak throughout summer, making it a draw for pollinators like butterflies and hummingbirds. True to its name, the goldflame honeysuckle looks a bit like a burst firework—pretty pink with yellow or coral petals create a lovely pop of color. Occasionally, goldflame honeysuckle will produce berries, which then attract birds (but you wouldn’t want to eat them yourself). The showy flowers are also deer-resistant.  

While the goldflame honeysuckle is a climbing plant, it is not invasive like other honeysuckle varieties, making it a lovely addition to your yard.

Common Name	Goldflame Honeysuckle
Botanical Name	Lonicera x heckrottii ‘Goldflame’
Family	Caprifoliaceae
Plant Type	Climber, Shrub, perennial
Mature Size	10-15 ft. tall, 3-6 ft. wide
Sun Exposure	Full, Partial
Soil Type	Well-drained
Soil pH	Acidic, neutral
Bloom Time	Spring, Summer
Flower Color	Pink with yellow interior
Hardiness Zones	5a - 9 (USDA)
Native Area	United States

Goldflame Honeysuckle Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing goldflame honeysuckle:

• Plant in full sun in well-draining soil
• Water regularly for the first year to help establish the root system; however, you do not want to overwater it
• Prune annually to control size.

Light

For best blooms, Goldflame honeysuckle like full sun, and do particularly well when allowed to climb on light poles and mailboxes in their attempt to get more sun. The climbing plant also does well in partial sun, which makes it a good option for an arbor where some parts of the plant would get less sun than others.

Soil

Goldflame honeysuckle loves rich acidic soil, such as clay. Loamy soils are also hospitable. The key is to make sure that soil is well-draining, so a clay soil that doesn't drain well won't work.

Water

As you’re establishing the root system of a new goldflame honeysuckle, be sure that the plant is well irrigated. If you have it in a container, you’ll want to water it when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Do not overwater as wet soil weakens the vines. An established plant shouldn't need additional watering as long as rainfall is at normal levels.

Temperature and Humidity

This twining vine likes normal humidity and thrives between 45 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The growth tends to slow down once the outside temperature goes past 95 degrees Fahrenheit. Goldflame honeysuckle is hardy down into the 20s, and it is dormant in the winter. The cold months are a good time to prune as it trains the plant to grow with more control come spring. 

Fertilizer

Every spring, apply an all-purpose fertilizer with a 3-1-2 NPK ratio to encourage new growth.

Pruning

Once goldflame honeysuckle stops blooming and the flowers have dropped off, you can prune it for size and shape. Be sure to prune minimally as the vine is establishing itself, until around two years after planting.

Propagating Goldflame Honeysuckle

Goldflame honey suckle is easy to propagate by layering or with leaf cuttings. (The roots sprout from the leaf nodes.) Start layering in early spring when the vines are more flexible.

Layering

1. Take the midsection of a still-attached goldflame honeysuckle vine and gently bury it in the soil, just an inch or so down. (Sprinkling compost on the ground can help with the process.) You can bend it as needed to get the vine below the soil.
2. Keep soil above the buried vine moist but not wet. During the growing season, the roots should take hold.
3. At the end of the growing season, cut the vine at soil level on the side attached to the main part of the plant. The buried midsection of the vine and the above-ground end of the original vine should now be detached from the original plant.
   
4. Leave the new plant where it is, or gently dig it up and transplant it to its permanent location or plant it in its own pot.

Leaf Cuttings

1. Using sharp shears, cut just below a pair of goldflame honeysuckle leaves that are about 6 to 8 inches down a stem.
2. Remove the two lowest sets of leaves on the cutting.
3. Dip the cut end into rooting hormone.
4. Transfer the cutting to a small pot about 6 inches in diameter with well-drained soil.
5. Keep the soil moist and the environment humid. You can put a small bag over the pot to make a mini greenhouse.
6. Once the goldflame honeysuckle has rooted after several weeks, you can harden it off outside (wait until risk of frost has passed). Let the plant adjust, then replant in the ground. 

How to Grow Goldflame Honeysuckle From Seed

Because goldflame honeysuckle produces berries and sends up suckers, more often than not, it will seed itself. However, you can also purposefully grow it from seed.

1. Take the ripe berries (not the green ones) and smash them to remove the seeds.
2. Rinse with water and allow to dry.
3. In order to germinate, goldflame honeysuckle seeds to go through cold stratification. Plant the seeds in the late fall or winter, or you can place the seeds into a the refrigerator for two months then plant in spring. Just be sure that the container has holes for ventilation and some sphagnum moss for moisture.
4. When it comes time to plant, place the small goldflame honeysuckle seeds on top of soil
5. Gently push down 1/2 inch to cover.
6. Keep the soil moist. Seeds should germinate in about two weeks, when you can continue with seedling care.

Potting and Repotting Goldflame Honeysuckle

Since the goldflame honeysuckle grows vigorously, it will need regular repotting. Check for signs it needs repotting, such as no new growth, new leaves that are small in size, or roots coming out the top of the soil or drainage hole.

To repot, take a terracotta pot that is 1 inch larger in diameter and place a combination of soil and compost at the bottom until you have a layer of about 2 inches. (Cover the drainage hole with a rock or landscaping fabric, but don't add a full layer of rocks to the bottom.) Then place the loosened root ball in the center. Add soil until the roots are covered, then water.

Overwintering

This plant is hardy and can handle temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Goldflame honeysuckle is dormant in the winter, but be sure to brush away accumulated snow, as the weight can cause the vines to break. 

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Goldflame honeysuckle is an easy-to-grow plant that does not suffer from any aggressive pests other than aphids, which could bother it in the spring. If the honeysuckle is grown in a humid location, it may also have powdery mildew, which can be treated with a solution of baking soda, dish soap, and water.

How to Get Goldflame Honeysuckle to Bloom

One of the reasons goldflame honeysucke is so revered is because it produces gorgeous tubular bi-color blooms of magenta and two-lipped petals in yellow or an orangey hue. The blooms are about 2 inches wide, make them them easily visible to gardeners and pollinators alike.

Goldflame honeysuckle blooms peak in the summer months but can sometimes last until first frost.

Bloom Months

Expect goldflame honeysuckle to bloom continuously from June through August, especially in warmer climates. It warmed climates it can bloom into early fall. Once the climbing vine is done blooming it will produce berries.

Typically, goldflame honeysuckle blooms June through August, but can bloom into early fall in warmer climates. 

What Do Goldflame Honeysuckle Flowers Look and Smell Like?

Goldflame honeysuckle flowers are tubular in nature and look a bit like fireworks, especially the bi-color pink and yellow flowers. The blooms smell sweet, like a cross between vanilla and jasmine. 

How to Encourage More Blooms

The best way to get more blooms out of a goldflame honeysuckle is to plant it in a sunny spot. Fertilizing also helps, as does proper pruning, which encourages more blooms. 

Caring for Goldflame Honeysuckle After It Blooms

Once the blooms are done, don’t immediately cut them back. They may become berries that reseed the plant. (If you don't want the plant to reseed, you could cut off the berries.) Once it's fully done blooming in the fall, you’ll want to prune and shape your vines. You can also collect the ripe berries and extract seeds to replant them yourself.