Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Flame Honeysuckle
Flame Honeysuckle is a compact shrub with narrow green leaves and spikes of red-orange tubular flowers from summer into fall. Hummingbirds come to it all season. It is quite drought tolerant, and a little summer water brings more flowers. It takes hard cold and comes back strong after a late winter cutback.
Best for: summer and fall hummingbird color, a low border or informal hedge, and colder spots in the Valley.
Spikes of red-orange tubular flowers open from early summer into fall, when many spring bloomers have stopped. Hummingbirds work them all season.
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. Planted 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center, it fills a border or makes a low, informal hedge.
It takes cold well below Valley winter lows. In cold winters it drops its leaves, and it regrows fast after a late winter cutback.
It drops its leaves in winter, so the spot looks bare until spring. Dense shade cuts the bloom, and heavy clay that stays wet does not suit it, so give it sun and soil that drains.
- Tight border or low hedge3 ft apart, center to center
- Looser border4 ft apart, center to center
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.
It is drought tolerant, but a deep soak about twice a month in summer keeps it flowering. Water sparingly the rest of the year.
Cut it back hard in late winter, even to the ground. Do not shear it during the year, though light cuts on single stems are fine.
Plant it where it gets full sun. It takes bright shade, but more sun means more flowers, and dense shade cuts the bloom.
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.
What is Flame Honeysuckle?
It is a shrub from Texas and northern Mexico, also called flame acanthus or Mexican flame. It is not a true honeysuckle, and the name comes from its tubular flowers.
When does it bloom?
It blooms from early summer into fall, heaviest in late summer and fall. More sun and some summer water mean more flowers.
How big does it get?
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide. Plant it 3 to 4 feet apart for a border or hedge.
Does it attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds love the red-orange flowers and visit all season, and butterflies come too, so plant it where you can watch them.
How much water does it need?
It is quite drought tolerant. For the most flowers, give it a deep soak about twice a month in summer and water sparingly the rest of the year.
How do I prune it?
Cut it back hard in late winter, even to the ground, and it regrows fast. Avoid shearing the whole plant. Light cuts on single stems are fine during the year.
Does it lose its leaves in winter?
Yes, in most winters, though in mild winters it can keep some leaves. It leafs out again in spring.
How cold hardy is it?
It is very cold hardy, rated to about 0 to 10°F. In hard cold it dies back and regrows from the base.
What soil does it need?
Plant it in soil that drains. It grows in sand, loam or clay, but avoid heavy clay that stays wet.
How is it different from Desert Honeysuckle?
Flame Honeysuckle is from Texas and Mexico, stays a bit smaller and blooms heaviest in late summer and fall. Desert Honeysuckle is the Arizona native with a spring peak.
Flame Honeysuckle for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Flame Honeysuckle, also sold as flame acanthus or Mexican flame, is a Texas and Mexico native that blooms red-orange from summer into fall. This page covers its size, spacing and summer water, the late winter cutback, and how it compares with Desert 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.
Does Flame Honeysuckle grow well in Arizona?
Flame Honeysuckle comes from Texas and northern Mexico. It grows well in Arizona desert gardens, blooming red-orange from summer into fall for hummingbirds.
How big does Flame Honeysuckle get?
It grows about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, with narrow green leaves. It grows back fast, especially after its late winter cutback.
How far apart do you plant Flame Honeysuckle?
Plant them about 3 to 4 feet apart, center to center. The Spacing tab counts plants for your border.
How often do you water Flame Honeysuckle?
Once it is rooted it is drought tolerant. A deep soak about twice a month in summer keeps it flowering, with little water the rest of the year.
When do you cut back Flame Honeysuckle?
Cut it back hard in late winter, even to the ground, and it regrows quickly in spring. Avoid shearing the whole plant.
What is the difference between Flame Honeysuckle and Desert Honeysuckle?
Flame Honeysuckle peaks in late summer and fall and is very cold hardy. Desert Honeysuckle is the Arizona native with a spring peak.
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