''Lonicera sempervirens'' (commonly known as coral honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle, or scarlet honeysuckle) is a species of
honeysuckle vine native to the eastern United States which is known for its reddish flowers.
Description
''Lonicera sempervirens'' is best recognized by trumpet-shaped and coral to reddish flowers. The leaves and stems are waxy, a common trait in the
Honeysuckle genus. It is a twining
vine growing to 20 ft or more through shrubs and young trees. The leaves are produced in opposite pairs, oval, up to 5 cm long and 4 cm broad; the leaves immediately below the flowers are
perfoliate, joined at the base in a complete ring round the shoot. When born, their flowers are whorled on the end.
They are present with red berries on them that are less than 1 cm width and length.
The berries are inedible and grow from summer to fall.
Their leaves are somewhat evergreen. The species is also flammable, which leads to it not being recommended for being planted close to residences.
The flowers are produced on new growth in clusters of several groups of three together, tubular, 5 cm long, with five small lobes opening at the tip to expose the stamens and stigma. The bark is green and fuzzy when younger but becomes a light brown as it ages.
The older stems get more of a red-orange color.
Several
cultivars have been selected for variation in flower color, including 'Magnifica' (flowers red outside, yellow inside), 'Sulphurea' (yellow flowers), and 'Superba' (bright scarlet flowers).
Distribution
''Lonicera sempervirens'' is most common in eastern
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
, but has occurred as far west as
Texas.
It is found prominently in the southeastern US.
It is listed as endangered in
Maine, the only state in which it has any legal status.
Although introduced in parts of New England, populations of ''L. sempervirens'' have been found that seem to be growing natively in
Connecticut,
Massachusetts, and
Rhode Island.
It is also considered extremely rare in
Rhode Island.
''Lonicera sempervirens'' is most common in coastal habitats.
Taxonomy
''Lonicera sempervirens'' was first described by Swedish botanist
Carl Linnaeus in his treatise
Species Plantarum
' (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the ...
in 1753. Varieties of ''L. sempervirens'' are ''Lonicera sempervirens'' L. var. ''hirsutula'' Rehder, ''Lonicera sempervirens'' L. var. ''minor'' Aiton, and ''Lonicera sempervirens'' L. var. ''sempervirens. Phenianthus sempervirens'' (L.) Raf is a
synonym
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
.
Hybrids of the species include ''Lonicera × tellmanniana'' and ''
Lonicera × heckrottii
''Lonicera'' × ''heckrottii'', the golden flame honeysuckle, is a plant in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, grown in gardens for its showy flowers and long season of bloom.
Description
''Lonicera'' × ''heckrottii'' is a vine with oppos ...
''.
Uses
''Lonicera sempervirens'' is often used as an alternative to the invasive ''
Lonicera japonica'' across the east coast of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
It is popular to grow in gardens or recreational areas as it is considered low maintenance.
It is also used to attract hummingbirds and butterflies for pollinator gardens.
It is also popular to plant for a flowering effect because of its attractive red color.
The species is mainly used ornamentally on fences or lattices. The species can be propagated by either stem cutting or by seed.
It has been used to treat asthma and bee stings in Native American traditions.
Habitat
''Lonicera sempervirens'' can grow in many areas due to its cold hardiness. ''Lonicera sempervirens'' prefers sunny and moist areas but is also drought resistant.
Coral honeysuckle can live in soils such as
clay or
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
, and only needs about 3 to 6 feet of space to grow.
It prefers acidic soil with a
pH of 6 and prefers soil with good drainage.
It can grow in full sun or in fully shaded areas.
It can tolerate living near
deer and
walnuts as it is not a preferred browse.
Wildlife Uses
''Lonicera sempervirens'' is used by many animals for food, most commonly used for nectar by butterflies and hummingbirds. It attracts bees, hummingbirds, moths, and even songbirds.
Birds such as
quail,
purple finch
The purple finch (''Haemorhous purpureus'') is a bird in the finch family, Fringillidae.
Taxonomy
This species and the other "American rosefinches" were formerly included with the rosefinches of Eurasia in the genus ''Carpodacus''; however, the ...
, and
American robin
The American robin (''Turdus migratorius'') is a migratory bird of the true thrush genus and Turdidae, the wider thrush family. It is named after the European robin because of its reddish-orange breast, though the two species are not closel ...
eat the red berries.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds and insects pollinate the bright red to pinkish-red flowers from mid-spring to fall.
[Operation Rubythroat "Top Ten" Native Hummingbird Plants]
''Lonicera sempervirens''
/ref> It hosts the caterpillars of spring azures and snowberry clearwing moths.
Gallery
File:Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) RWD4.jpg, Ruby-throated hummingbird feeding
File:Lonicera sempervirens.jpg, Flower buds
File:Lonicera-sempervirens-foliage.jpg, Leaves and appearance after blooms detach
File:Lonicera sempervirens close up bloom.JPG, Close-up of blooms
File:Lonicera sempervirens NRCS-002.jpg, Pinkish-red flowers with yellow insides
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q161352
sempervirens
In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...
Flora of the Eastern United States
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus