- Botanical
- American Woodbine: Lonicera x americana. ‘Gold Flame’ and ‘Firecracker’: L. x heckrottii. ‘Floribunda’: L. korolkowii
- Plant Type
- Semi evergreen climber. American: Evergreen climber. ‘Floribunda’: Deciduous shrub.
- Size (HxW)
- ‘Gold Flame’:3-5m x 1-5m. ‘Firecracker’: 1.8-2m x 2-2.5m. American: 3-7m x 1m. ‘Floribunda’: 1-2m x 1-2m.
- Depth & Spacing
- Plant at the same depth as in the pot with the roots spread evenly below the soil surface, space 1-5m apart.
- Soil
- Moderately fertile to humus rich, well drained soil, not fussy.
- Aspect
- Full Sun to Semi Shade, 4-6 hours sun for best blooms.
- Climate
- Cool to Mediterranean
- Frost
- Hardy
- Water
- Water to establish, then only if rainfall is low, dry tolerant once established.
- Fertiliser
- Add a well balanced fertiliser in spring.
- Flowering Time
- Spr-Aut
- After Flower Care
- After flowering, berries may be produced in autumn – best after hot weather. ‘Gold Flame’; in cold climates, where they are semi evergreen, you can cut them back to in early spring, they will quickly reshoot as the weather warms. Long established plants can become quite large, don’t fear, they respond well to pruning, so feel free to prune hard (back to 60cm). By the same token, if you don’t want them big, prune them to the size you want, preferably after flowering. ‘Floribunda’ is a shrub, prune after berries to keep it healthy and vigorous.
- Notes
- You can train the tendrils to grow on a fence or wall, through trees and shrubs, or over a trellis or pergola, let your imagination run as wild. Ensure good air flow to avoid powdery mildew. ‘Gold Flame’ is not self twining, so you will need to tie the branches to the chosen support. The flowers are terminal (bloom at the ends of the stems), so be careful not to over prune.