Lonicera ×heckrottii ‘Goldflame’ – Honeysuckle – 1-Gallon

A hybrid between Trumpet Honeysuckle (L. sempervirens), a local native, and American Woodbine (L. x americana). If you’re thinking that American Woodbine is a native species you’d be wrong – it’s a hybrid between two European species (L. implexa and L. etrusca) that was created in the USA. Those species bring a wonderful fragrance to the cross that the American species lacks. Waxy blue-green foliage and carmine flowers with yellowish-tangerine interiors make for a very showy vine.

We’ve found ‘Goldflame’ to be particularly susceptible to aphids first thing in Spring. The infestation can be quite severe, even to the point of eliminating most of the floral display. Like many aphids, the honeysuckle aphids seem to move on to other hosts in late Spring, and the plant responds with a flush of growth and exuberant flowering in early to mid-Summer. We used to fight the aphid to try to get Spring bloom but now we just let nature take its course and celebrate the abundant Summer bloom – seems like hummingbirds like this strategy as well because they are constantly visiting the plant all through the Summer.