Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Desert Honeysuckle
Desert Honeysuckle is an upright native shrub of Sonoran Desert washes, with orange to red tubular flowers that hummingbirds love. It blooms heaviest from April into June and keeps going into fall with sun and a few summer waterings. It handles full sun and reflected heat off gravel and pavement. It is thornless and low maintenance.
Best for: native hummingbird and butterfly gardens, hot spots near gravel or pavement, and a low-care shrub for the back of a bed.
Hummingbirds pollinate the orange to red tubular flowers, and butterflies drink the nectar too. The bloom is heaviest from April into June, and a few summer waterings keep it going into fall.
It grows well in the reflected heat off gravel, pavement and water features. That makes it a good fit along a driveway or in a gravel yard.
It grows upright to about 5 to 8 feet tall and stays fairly narrow, about 3 to 5 feet wide. It seldom needs any pruning.
It drops its leaves and rests through winter, so the spot looks bare until spring. Mix it with evergreen shrubs if that bothers you, and avoid the heaviest clay soils.
- Border or low hedge3 ft apart
- Looser planting4 ft apart
Water every few days at first. Then stretch the time between waterings step by step, to about every 10 to 14 days by the second month.
Give a deep soak once or twice a month in the hot season to keep it flowering. It needs little water the rest of the year.
It seldom needs any pruning. Every few years, cut it back hard in late winter for fresh leaves and more spring flowers.
It drops its leaves in winter and leafs out again in spring. It is hardy to about 10°F.
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.
Is Desert Honeysuckle native to Arizona?
Yes. It grows wild in washes and canyons of the Sonoran Desert, in southern and central Arizona.
Is it a real honeysuckle?
No. The name comes from its tubular flowers. It is in the acanthus family, not the honeysuckle family.
How big does it get?
It grows about 5 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, with an upright, fairly narrow shape.
When does it bloom?
It blooms heaviest from April into June. With full sun and a few summer waterings, it keeps blooming into fall.
How often should I water it?
Once it is rooted, a deep soak once or twice a month in the hot season keeps it in flower. It needs little water the rest of the year.
Why does it look dead in winter?
It drops its leaves and rests through winter, then leafs out in spring. Plant it among evergreen shrubs if you do not want a bare spot.
How do I prune it?
It seldom needs any pruning. Every few years, cut it back hard in late winter to refresh the leaves and set up more spring flowers.
Can it take reflected heat?
Yes. It grows in full sun and handles reflected heat from gravel and pavement. It also takes part shade.
How cold hardy is it?
It is hardy to about 10°F, so Valley winters are no problem.
How is it different from Flame Honeysuckle?
Desert Honeysuckle is the Arizona native and blooms heaviest in spring. Flame Honeysuckle comes from Texas and Mexico and blooms heaviest from late summer into fall.
Desert Honeysuckle for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Desert Honeysuckle is a thornless shrub native to Arizona washes and canyons, planted for hummingbirds. This page covers its size, bloom season, summer water, winter rest, pruning and how it differs from Flame Honeysuckle.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Is Desert Honeysuckle an Arizona native?
Yes. It grows wild in Sonoran Desert washes and canyons of southern and central Arizona. Hummingbirds pollinate its orange to red tubular flowers.
When does Desert Honeysuckle bloom?
It blooms heaviest from April into June. With sun and a few summer waterings, it keeps blooming into fall.
How big does Desert Honeysuckle get?
It grows about 5 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, with an upright, fairly narrow shape.
How often do you water Desert Honeysuckle?
Once it is rooted, a deep soak once or twice a month in the hot season keeps it flowering. It needs little water the rest of the year.
How do you prune Desert Honeysuckle?
It seldom needs any pruning. A hard cutback in late winter every few years refreshes the leaves and brings more spring flowers.
Desert Honeysuckle vs Flame Honeysuckle
Both have tubular flowers that hummingbirds love. Desert Honeysuckle is the Arizona native with a spring peak. Flame Honeysuckle is from Texas and Mexico and peaks in late summer and 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.