Cape Honeysuckle

Year-round

Cape Honeysuckle is an evergreen shrub native to southern Africa, grown for its clusters of trumpet-shaped orange, red, or yellow flowers that bloom from fall into spring. It can be kept as a rounded shrub or trained as a loose vine, hedge, or espalier.

• Give it full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil; it tolerates sandy and clay soils and, once established, handles periods of drought well.
• Left unpruned it can reach 3 to 10 feet tall and 7 to 10 feet wide, so plan on regular pruning to keep it in bounds for a hedge or foundation planting.
• In the Houston area's mild winters, hard freezes below about 25 degrees Fahrenheit can kill leaves and branches back to the ground; established plants generally resprout from the roots.
• Its nectar-rich flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and honey bees, especially valuable in fall and winter when fewer other plants are in bloom.

Kept pruned into a neat hedge or espalier against a fence, it reads as tidy and intentional; left to sprawl as a loose vine it can look unkempt, so plan on a regular pruning schedule.

Fall

Fall is the start of the main bloom season, with clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers opening as temperatures cool.

• Reduce watering frequency as temperatures drop, but do not let the soil dry out completely during bloom.
• Hold off on major pruning now, since it removes the flowering wood the plant needs for its fall-to-spring bloom.
• Enjoy the nectar-rich flowers, which draw hummingbirds and butterflies through fall.

Winter

Bloom continues into winter in mild years, but a hard freeze below about 25 degrees Fahrenheit, which does occur in the Houston area, can kill leaves and stems back to the ground.

• Do not prune away frost-damaged growth immediately; wait until after the last frost risk has passed, since the damaged wood can help protect the crown.
• Cut back any dead or blackened stems to live wood once new spring growth confirms where the plant survived.
• Reduce watering during cool, wet winter weather to avoid waterlogged soil.

A hard freeze can leave the shrub looking bare and twiggy for a few weeks; letting it resprout before cutting back keeps the eventual pruning cleaner and less drastic.

Spring

Spring is a growth phase, and flowering from the fall-to-spring bloom cycle tapers off as the plant pushes new leaves.

• Cut back any winter freeze damage once new growth clearly shows where the plant is resprouting.
• Water regularly while new growth establishes, letting the top couple inches of soil dry between waterings.
• Prune lightly to shape the plant and encourage denser branching for the coming season.

Summer

Summer is mostly a foliage and establishment season ahead of the main fall bloom, though some flowering can continue in warm climates.

• It handles Houston's summer heat well and, once established, needs only occasional deep watering during dry stretches.
• Prune as needed to control size and density; frequent light pruning through summer encourages more flowering wood for fall.
• Watch new plantings for wilting during extended dry heat and water deeply if the top soil dries out.