Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Cape Honeysuckle
Cape Honeysuckle is a fast, evergreen shrubby vine with clusters of red-orange trumpet flowers against glossy dark green leaves. It blooms most of the year, heaviest in fall, and hummingbirds come for the nectar. You can grow it as a loose shrub, an informal hedge or a vine on a trellis or fence. In the Valley it does best with some afternoon shade.
Best for: an informal hedge or screen, a vine on a trellis or fence, and hummingbird color in a spot with afternoon shade.
It grows fast into a dense evergreen mass. Use it as a screen, barrier or informal hedge that flowers most of the year.
With support, it can be trained as a vine to cover a fence, wall or trellis. Without support, the long stems sprawl into a loose shrub.
The red-orange trumpet flowers are a hummingbird favorite. Bloom is heaviest in fall, and it can flower all year when winters are mild.
It struggles in the hottest low desert spots, especially a sunny south or west wall without afternoon shade. Frost in the mid 20s damages the leaves and branches.
- Hedge or screen row5-8 ft apart
Water new plants every few days, then stretch it out over about two months. Once rooted, water every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and less often in winter.
In the low desert it does best with afternoon shade. A sunny south or west wall without shade is hard on it in summer.
Frost in the mid 20s burns leaves and branches. Wait until early spring, March or April, to cut off the frozen parts. Every few years, cut it back hard to renew it. Feed it once a year in spring.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Can cape honeysuckle grow in Phoenix?
Yes, but it struggles in the hottest spots. Give it afternoon shade and keep it off sunny south and west walls.
How big does cape honeysuckle get?
It usually grows 4 to 10 feet tall and wide, and winter frost tends to keep it at the smaller end in the desert. Prune in early spring to hold it at the size you want.
Is cape honeysuckle a vine or a shrub?
It can be either one. Left alone it is a sprawling shrub, but with support you can train it as a vine, and it can also be kept as a hedge or groundcover.
When does cape honeysuckle bloom?
It blooms most of the year, heaviest in fall, and cold winters slow the flowers. Expect the biggest show in fall.
How often should I water cape honeysuckle?
Water new plants every few days at first. Once rooted, water every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and less often in winter.
How cold hardy is cape honeysuckle?
Leaves and branches take frost damage in the mid 20s, but the plant survives colder and regrows. Cut off frozen branches in early spring.
When should I prune cape honeysuckle?
In early spring, March or April. Every few years, cut it back hard to keep it from getting woody and leggy.
Does cape honeysuckle attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds flock to the red-orange flowers, so plant it where you can watch them from a window or patio.
Is cape honeysuckle messy near a pool?
No. It has no thorns and drops little litter, so it works in a bed near a pool.
Should I fertilize cape honeysuckle?
Feed it once a year in spring, as new growth starts, and that is all it needs.
What soil does cape honeysuckle need?
It is not fussy, and sandy to clay soil works if it drains well. Avoid spots where water stands.
When should I plant cape honeysuckle?
Plant it in spring after frost, from March through May, or in early fall. Avoid planting in the summer heat and in midwinter.
Cape Honeysuckle for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Cape Honeysuckle is a fast grower you can train as a shrub, hedge or vine, with red-orange flowers most of the year. It is a hummingbird favorite. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard: size, shade, water, frost, pruning and the different ways to grow it.
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Cape honeysuckle in Phoenix
Cape honeysuckle grows in the Valley but struggles in the hottest spots. Give it afternoon shade and keep it off sunny south and west walls.
Growing cape honeysuckle as a vine
With support, the long stems can be trained up a trellis, fence or wall. Left alone it grows as a sprawling shrub.
Cape honeysuckle hedge
It grows fast and works as a screen, barrier or informal hedge. Expect 4 to 10 feet tall and wide.
Watering cape honeysuckle
Once rooted, water every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and less often in winter. New plants need water every few days at first.
Cape honeysuckle frost damage
Frost in the mid 20s damages leaves and branches, but the plant regrows. Cut off frozen growth in early spring, around March or April.
Cape honeysuckle for hummingbirds
The red-orange trumpet flowers draw hummingbirds most of the year. Bloom is heaviest in fall.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.