Plants
Honeysuckle
Lonicera · Caprifoliaceae
Honeysuckle is the garden's most romantic climber: on summer evenings its curved whorls of flowers release a sweet, far-carrying scent that draws moths from the whole neighbourhood. It clothes fences, pergolas and rose arches quickly and reliably — and with its evening fragrance belongs beside every seating corner and bedroom window.
- Light
- Sun to partial shade; full bloom in sun, while the base likes to stay shaded.
- Watering
- Moderate to regular: keep evenly fresh and strictly avoid drought stress.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Lonicera
The range covers every purpose: the native woodbine and its varieties „Serotina“ and „Belgica“ are the most fragrant, the goldflame honeysuckle (Lonicera heckrottii „Goldflame“) flowers purple and yellow almost all summer, and the evergreen Lonicera henryi keeps its foliage in winter, making it the first choice for year-round screening on a fence.
As a twining plant, honeysuckle winds itself around anything it can grip — wires, rods, fence panels. It therefore needs a support with vertical elements no more than a few centimetres thick; on smooth walls it finds no hold without help. Within a few years it reaches three to five metres.
The old gardener's rule of „feet in the shade, head in the sun“ fits hardly any plant as well: the root zone wants to be cool, humus-rich and evenly fresh, while the shoots may grow into the sun. If honeysuckle stands too hot and dry, it repays you with mildew and bare lower sections — the most common care mistake. A mulch layer or low underplanting prevents this.
Ecologically, honeysuckle is a jewel: the long-tubed flowers are tailored to moths such as the hummingbird hawk-moth, bumblebees help themselves by day, and wrens and warblers nest in the dense tangle. The red berries in late summer are bird food — for people and pets, however, they are mildly toxic.
Prune after the main flowering or in early spring: thinning keeps the plant free-flowering and prevents bare legs. Old, exhausted specimens tolerate radical cutting back and willingly rebuild.
Is Honeysuckle toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Mildly irritating
- Cats
- Mildly irritating
- Dogs
- Mildly irritating
The berries and leaves contain saponins and are considered mildly toxic to people, dogs and cats. Single berries are usually harmless; a handful, however, can already cause nausea in children. Birds eat the berries without harm.
Typical symptoms: After eating several berries: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
In an emergency:call the German poison control centre in Bonn on +49 228 19240 (24/7) — for pets, contact an emergency vet directly. This information does not replace medical or veterinary advice.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Sunny to partially shaded position; the root zone should stay shaded and cool.
- 02Humus-rich, evenly fresh soil; heat and drought stress encourage mildew.
- 03Water regularly, especially on hot summer days and in containers.
- 04Provide a support with vertical rods or wires; honeysuckle twines by itself.
- 05Thin out after flowering or in spring so the plant does not go bare at the base.
- 06Do not nibble the red berries; point them out to children in family gardens.
Frequently asked
- Why does my honeysuckle not smell?
- Two possible reasons: first, not all species are fragrant — the evergreen Lonicera henryi, for instance, is practically scentless, while woodbine and „Serotina“ are strongly perfumed. Second, the scent unfolds mainly in the evening when the moths fly; if you only sniff at midday, you miss it. Ask specifically for fragrant varieties when buying.
- Are honeysuckle berries poisonous?
- Yes, mildly: the red berries contain saponins that can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea in people, dogs and cats. It only becomes critical from several berries upwards, but with children in particular you should take no risks. For birds, on the other hand, the fruits are valuable food.
- Why is my honeysuckle going bare at the base?
- That lies in its nature as a woodland-edge plant: it strives towards the light and invests upwards. Bare legs are aggravated by drought stress at the base. Regular thinning, a shaded, mulched root zone and, for old plants, a bold rejuvenation cut from which they reliably resprout all help.
- How fast does honeysuckle grow?
- Briskly: established plants gain one to two metres a year and reach three to five metres depending on species, woodbine up to eight. A fence or pergola is thus usually well covered after two to three years — considerably faster than with most clematis.