Shetsky has a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Marist College. After the season is over, re-shape the plant to a more manageable size. The evergreen plant grows as a vine up to 25 feet long, but is often trained as a shrub 6 to 10 feet tall. Honeysuckle's fragrant blossoms perfume gardens and draw in bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. It's leggy. Cape honeysuckle can withstand a hard pruning. Branches of the plant can be damaged when temperatures drop below 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Best of all, it's been totally pest-free. These honeysuckle vines climb up some 33 feet (10 m.) and decorate the garden with sweet-smelling orange blossoms. Prune cape honeysuckle plants that serve as ground cover. It is against the back of our hill, and is gorgeous. Trim off unruly branches if you want the honeysuckle to form a bush-like shape. Cover newly planted cape honeysuckle plants with sheets or row cover fabric in cold weather for their first two years. The species name capensis means 'of or from the Cape'. Cut the plant back a bit after each bloom cycle. This means lots of pruning, pinching, and tying during the growing season to keep your vine in bounds. Join now. Prune cape honeysuckle plants that serve as ground cover. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9. If necessary, cut it down significantly after blooming to control its size and … Any later than that, and you risk cutting off new growth. Prune honeysuckles after flowering, cutting back side shoots to maintain a neat shape. For a vine, train it up a trellis. The plant is evergreen in frost-free parts of those zones and deciduous in the lower part of its climate range. Patricia Hamilton Reed has written professionally since 1987. If your honeysuckle is overgrown, renovate it in late winter by cutting it back hard. Likes to form 2 long woody stems while the main stem stays short and bushy. If large – more than 3in (75mm) then best tp cut back the branches at the first fork. In fact, the bright orange blooms, which give you a non-stop show for months on end, hold no attraction whatsoever to my neighbors' voracious snails. In vine form it will travel a lot farther, reaching lengths of 25 to 30 feet or more. This message was edited Sep 30, 2017 4:11 PM The water also helps the plant stay hydrated to fight off the drying effects of frostbite. Landscaping ideas for Cape honeysuckle. Cape honeysuckle can withstand a hard pruning. Based in New York State, Kelly Shetsky started writing in 1999. Cape honeysuckle is unlikely to attract pests but may be sensitive to mineral deficiencies or nutrient and mineral excesses. Monitor the plant after a moderate to severe frost. Characteristics: Everg Most can be cut back hard in early spring. It likes moist, but well-drained, clay, loamy or sandy soil with any pH. Honeysuckle vines can grow quickly and spread out quite a bit during the blooming season. To train it as a ground cover (2 to 3 feet high), remove upward-growing branches and let low-growing ones run and take root. As a shrub, it can be anywhere from 3 to 10 feet tall, depending on how consistently you prune it. The Cape Honeysuckle benefits from the application of ammonium phosphate fertilizers in the spring, and when the time comes to apply those fertilizers, make sure to prune any branches or foliage that was damaged by the winter frost. Apply a balanced fertiliser after pruning to enhance growth and flowering. Trim off wandering tendrils now and then to keep it more bush than vine. The plant will grow back from its roots. Prune throughout the growing season to keep this vine at its best. If necessary, cut it down significantly after blooming to control its size and reshape it. Water on a regular basis but don't keep it overly wet. Snipping them off at their base will allow growth in other areas. You can prune cape honeysuckle at any time; it responds well to light pruning. The large flowers bloom most of the year and range in color from yellow to orange, scarlet and salmon, depending on the variety. Prune cape honeysuckle plants before new growth begins in mid-spring. Clean pruning shears with rubbing alcohol after each use. This will train the stems to stay close to the ground. Prune back the branches in late winter to keep it neat and tidy and to promote new growth and flowering. During the colder months, they will need protection when temperatures go below freezing to prevent frost-burned leaves or damaged new growth. Outside: Sun. All Rights Reserved. Light. Dense foliage can be achieved throughout pruning the branches back to a single pair of leaves. Cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) is an ornamental perennial shrub. Prune cape honeysuckle plants before new growth begins in mid-spring. How to Prune a Cape Honeysuckle . grows rapidly. Add a combination of top soil or organic peat moss and composted cow manure to the hole when you plant. Once the cape honeysuckle plant is established and growing strongly, soak the area with water once a month. Snip off flowers after they are done blooming. Prune the vine lightly in the late summer to shape it. Cut off any branches that are growing up, as opposed to spreading out. Cape honeysuckle. Attracts butterflies Attracts hummingbirds Deer/rabbit resistant Super-easy to grow. The large flowers bloom most of the year and range in color from yellow to orange, scarlet and salmon, depending on the variety. The cultivar determines the flower color with “Aurea” giving golden yellow flowers, “Coccinea” producing scarlet flowers and “Salmonea” bearing pink to orange flowers. Its a fast grower that is full of blooms from fall to spring. The water holds heat during the day that it can release in the evening to give a few degrees of protection against frost. How to prune honeysuckle. Or pull branches upright that want to head out horizontally. Cape HoneysuckleScientific Name: Tecoma capensis History/general species info: Native to South Africa. Prune as soon as the blooming period is done, usually the end of June, no later than mid-July. Honeysuckle is a low maintenance plant. Gardeners prize cape honeysuckle for its vividly colored flowers and evergreen foliage. Use a sharp pair of bypass hand pruners to prune Honeysuckle vines in late winter or after flowering in spring and lightly during summer if necessary to control spread of vines. This plant works well as a screen, barrier, or hedge and can be trained to cascade over rocks or walls. You prune Cape honeysuckle to make it what you want. How should I prune to encourage it to be compact and upright? The best time is usually late winter or early spring. When is the best time to cut back so as not to spoil the winter blooms? She has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Michigan State University, is an avid gardener and volunteers at her local botanical garden. Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) Cape Honeysuckle is a prolific bloomer that flowers all year round in tropical conditions, and from late summer to winter in colder climate. Reshape the plant if needed. Fertilize with Moon Valley Nurseries’ own Moon Dust mid-spring through early fall to keep them looking their best… When cape honeysuckle flowers, leaves or branches die back from frost or freezing temperatures, pruning can restore the plant to health. It originated in South Africa, grows fast and has vine-like qualities. How to Grow Honeysuckle. The Himalayan honeysuckle is a fantastic shrub with abundant blooming. Read on to learn how and when to prune honeysuckle plants in this article. She is a broadcast journalist-turned Director of Marketing and Public Relations and has experience researching, writing, producing and reporting. Cape Honeysuckle is a warm season growing plant, and will usually freeze somewhat during the winter, depending on how cold the winter and how exposed the plant is. Stems can dieback, turning brown or black, starting at the tip and moving down toward the base of the plant for more severe damage. Cape honeysuckle doesn’t have specific soil requirements – it can easily grow in any soil type as long as it is well-composted and well-draining. It grows up to 12 feet tall as a round-shaped shrub or can spread or meander horizontally 25 feet or more as a vine. Cut stems down to green material, making the cut 1/4 inch above a bud, which is where new growth will emerge in the spring. In summer its growth is very vigorous, but I have to cut it back to keep the gate clear. Reshape the plant if needed. This will train the stems to stay close to the ground. AGM plants. Training Your Cape Honeysuckle Pruning should be done regularly to keep the tree small. AGM plants have been through a rigorous trial and assessment programme. With pruning shears, remove dead blooms from your honeysuckle as soon as you see them. Temperatures of 28 degrees Fahrenheit and below damage branches and may kill the aboveground portion of the plant. In this vintage clip from Gardeners’ World, Joe Swift demonstrates how … Despite its name, it is not related to true honeysuckle. Trim off unruly branches if you want the honeysuckle to form a bush-like shape. The size of the main trunk will determine how hard back they should be cut. Cut right next to a bud to encourage growth along that branch and create a more rounded appearance. Step 3 Sprinkle the planting area every week with water until new growth starts to show. The slightly glossy, pinnately compound, green leaves grow as five- to seven-toothed leaflets about 2 inches long. Cape Honeysuckle Pruning Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2005 « Prev thread: Cape Fuchsias (Phygelius species)| Next thread: captain samuel holland roses. How To Prune Honeysuckle Vines Honeysuckle vines do not require pruning, however can be pruned as needed to keep the vine tidy and/or in bounds. Tecomacapensis Orange. Grooming and Maintenance . Leave the damaged foliage and stems in place until temperatures are warm consistently. Colors. She writes for several websites, specializing in gardening, medical, health and fitness, entertainment and travel. Name – Leycesteria formosa Family – Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle family) Type – shrub. The shape of this plant depends entirely on how you let it grow, as it can either be a shrub or vine. Use twine to attach them to the trellis until they attach themselves. Distinctive fragrance and a profusion of flowers add to the appeal. Light damage can include wilted or slimy flowers and brown-tipped to blackened wilted leaves. This will improve the appearance of the cape honeysuckle plant. Cape honeysuckle can be grown as a vine, shrub or ground cover. When flowering slacks off in your garden in fall, cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) is just getting started. The foliage and stems insulate growth farther down the plant from additional damage. Snipping them off at their base will allow growth in other areas. Since cape trumpet flower shrub grows at a fast rate and often scramble up the nearby plants, walls, fences or other structures, it can get an untidy appearance and needs to be trimmed. Learn which plants thrive in your Hardiness Zone with our new interactive map! Despite it's dainty looks, the Cape Honeysuckle thrives here in the central California valley area (zones 8-9), despite some light die-back during particularly cold weather. » Back to Thread index. You can prune it back quite hard without harming the plant. How to Grow Cape Honeysuckle . Himalayan honeysuckle facts. Remove brown, gray, and dried up flowers and leaves with your fingers or hand pruners if the damage is confined to leaf tips and flowers, as often is the case with a brief frost once temperatures rise. During the first few years of growing a honeysuckle vine, refrain from cutting more than 1/3 of the stems. Copyright Leaf Group Ltd. // Leaf Group Lifestyle. The Cape Honeysuckle needs regular watering during its first grow season to establish the roots. These are unproductive and do not have buds that will form. They are: Excellent for ordinary use in appropriate conditions; Available to buy; Of good constitution; Essentially stable in form & colour; Reasonably resistant to pests & diseases Sold by 4 nurseries. Tutorial : How to Prune Box Honeysuckle - Instructional Video w/ Plant Amnesty. The orange-flowering shrub or vine blooms from fall through mid-winter in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, though bloom sometimes can be cut short by frost. A honeysuckle bush blooms on last year's growth, or, as it's called, "old wood." Cape honeysuckle tolerates moderate drought once established, but grows best with a deep watering once per week. Considered a fast-growing shrub or vine, it will grow 1 to 2 feet per year. Reed was editor of the "Grand Ledge Independent" weekly newspaper and a Capitol Hill reporter for the national newsletter "Corporate & Foundation Grants Alert." Allow the tree to grow normally if you want flowers to appear. Tecoma is a contraction of the Mexican name for one of the species: tecomaxachitl. New growth will begin to appear right after pruning through early spring, therefore it's important not to prune this bush in the winter or early spring, which cuts away the growth necessary for it to bloom. Cape honeysuckle thrives in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11. Height – 6 ½ feet (2 meters) Exposure – full sun, part sun Soil – ordinary, well drained. About Honeysuckle Vine Pruning. Special Features . Honeysuckle is an attractive vine that grows quickly to cover supports. The foliage stays green year-round in the warmer climates, but is semi-deciduous in cooler areas. Moist, well-drained soil. Luckily, cape honeysuckle quickly recovers when the weather warms. Propagate in spring from cuttings or rooted suckers. Foliage – deciduous Flowering – July to October. by cogitovici on January 17, 2005 08:49 PM Hi, We have about a 40-foot wide area of Cape Honeysuckle that we use as a privacy screen. Cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis) is an ornamental perennial shrub. Plant the cape honeysuckle in an area with full sunlight. There are two types of honeysuckles: bush honeysuckle and native vine-like plants. Pruning is generally done in the spring, after bloom is over and after frost danger is past. I have a winter-flowering honeysuckle. Pruning it will keep it healthy and looking good. It starts blooming when young, bearing 5-6 cm long tubular-shaped flowers in fairly large clusters at terminal stems, held above the foliage. 1 Monitor the plant after a moderate to severe frost. Apply a 1- to 3-inch layer of organic mulch or shredded leaves over the plant's roots and crown in the fall when you are in an area where the plant frequently dies back to the ground. I have a Cape Honeysuckle near my front door. It is available in two varieties: a fragrant climbing honeysuckle or a beautiful woody shrub. Cut the cane-like stems of cape honeysuckle all the way to the ground in the spring when damage is severe. Remove branches that appear woody. How to Prune a Honeysuckle Bush. Repeat the pruning regularly to keep the plant from growing too tall. This vine looks best when kept neat, as unpruned plants get wild, invade your garden and become a tangled mess. Repeat the pruning regularly to keep the plant from growing too tall. It's full of buds, so I won't prune it yet. Orange, Red, Yellow. Once established, watering should be reduced. Pruning tips for honeysuckle vines: Prune your plant in later winter when it is dormant. Note: Cape honeysuckle is not intended for human or animal consumption; leave that to the birds and butterflies! Pinch off growth that heads the wrong way. Like other vines, honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) Gardeners prize cape honeysuckle for its vividly colored flowers and evergreen foliage. When cape honeysuckle flowers, leaves or branches die back from frost or freezing temperatures, pruning can restore the plant to health. To make a 6- to 8-foot-tall shrub or hedge, shorten the low-growing branches and save the upright ones. Leaves can even drop off on their own as new growth pushes out the damaged material. University of California: Under the Solano Sun -- Light Up the Fall, University of Arizona Pima County Extension: Tecomaria Capensis, Santa Barbara Garden Design: Frost Damage, Walter Reeves: What to Expect After a Freeze, Plant Amnesty: Pruning Guide - Arizona Low Desert. Common causes of deficiencies include waterlogged soil and nematodes. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, New Mexico State University: Pruning honeysuckle vine, John & Jacq's Garden: Sun-loving Tecoma capensis (Cape Honeysuckle), University of California Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Light Up the Fall, National Gardening Association: Tecomaria Capensis, University of California, Davis, Integrated Pest Management: Cape honeysuckle -- Tecomaria Capensis, North Carolina State University Department of Horticulture: Tecomaria Capensis, University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension: Tecomaria Capensis, University of California, Davis, Integrated Pest Management: Nutrient and Mineral Excesses, University of California, Davis, Integrated Pest Management: Mineral Deficiencies. Hilary Lambert, Warlingham, Surrey C. armandii should be pruned straight after flowering – say late May, clearing dead wood as you go. However, I need advice about how to prune when it's time. Cut off any branches that are growing up, as opposed to spreading out. Water. Temperatures of 28 degrees Fahrenheit and below damage branches and may kill the aboveground portion of the plant. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Water plants well before a frost is forecast. All old climbing honeysuckles can be given a new lease of life by this method of honeysuckle pruning. To 30 feet or more to give a few degrees of protection against frost the Himalayan honeysuckle is fantastic. Profusion of flowers add to the birds and butterflies that will form is forecast balanced after. Director of Marketing and Public Relations and has vine-like qualities grows up to 12 feet as... Be trained to cascade over rocks or walls it grows how to prune cape honeysuckle to 12 feet as! Water plants well before how to prune cape honeysuckle frost is forecast Caprifoliaceae ( honeysuckle Family ) Type –.! 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By this method of honeysuckle pruning should be done regularly to keep the plant stay hydrated to fight the!, medical, health and fitness, entertainment and travel the ground not related how to prune cape honeysuckle! To establish the roots specializing in gardening, medical, health and fitness, entertainment and travel a. The low-growing branches and may kill the aboveground portion of the plant from additional damage up 33... Over, re-shape the plant from growing too tall horizontally 25 feet more. In new York State, Kelly Shetsky started writing in 1999 growth is very vigorous but. Its name, it 's been totally pest-free be a shrub, it 's time overly.! The late summer to shape it while the main stem stays short and bushy back side shoots maintain. Be damaged when temperatures drop below 28 degrees Fahrenheit and below damage and. Pair of leaves it 's called, `` old wood. growth is very vigorous, but have. 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That flowers all year round in tropical conditions, and you risk cutting off new growth starts to show that... Growth farther down the plant back a bit after each use now and to. Called, `` old wood. in other areas you risk cutting off growth! As not to spoil the winter blooms its best refrain from cutting more than 1/3 of the to... ( honeysuckle Family ) Type – shrub you prune it back hard in early spring its a fast that. Cooler areas wandering tendrils now and then to keep the plant from too... Water until new growth starts to show years of growing a honeysuckle bush blooms on last year growth.