January 12, 2019 There is a GREAT EGRET in MY YARD! So excited! I rush inside to get my phone, but by the time I come out he has moved on to another yard. Still, I’m hopeful that he will show up again!
The next week I spot two beautiful bluebirds in the front yard, around the flatwood plum trees and my glider.
After a rainy Sunday, followed by working all night, and 4 hours sleep, I decide to spend some time out on the bench in the sun. How delicious, gliding back and forth. I glance at the trellis and bright coral flowers catch my attention! Oh, the Coral Honeysuckle is really taking off now – six months after it was first planted! Several strands are up and over the trellis. The leaves are green and healthy looking and the flowers are stunning. Yea!
Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera Sempervirens) is native to my part of Florida (Central / North Florida). It requires rich, moist to dry soil and plenty of sun. Hummingbirds visit the red tubular flowers and birds eat the small red berries in the fall. It can be trained to grow up the trellis, or you can let it grow over trees and shrubs, or leave it grow along the ground as a ground cover. Expect the best blooms if it is growing with the support of a trellis, tree or other plant. It is a larval host for both the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon) and Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) butterfly. I expect I will be cutting mine way back at the end of November, or in December.
Six months after planting two small coral honeysuckle plants – it starts to take off!
One year after planting two small Coral Honeysuckle plants!
Jo, How did you learn when to cut back t
ReplyDeletehe coral honeysuckle? I also need to know when to trim my twinflower?
One advantage of belonging to The Villages Chapter of Florida Native Plant Society is having many resources available and learning about more all the time. Many of us in this “neighborhood” are in the same boat – we are just learning how to create fully native habitats in an unfamiliar climate. I never had a yard up north, but I have the distinct impression that growing things in Florida is different.
ReplyDeleteI have a small book called Gardening in Sumter County Month-by-Month. It’s not limited to Native Plants. While it does talk about Coral Honeysuckle, it does not mention maintenance or trimming back the Coral Honeysuckle or any vines.
When I Googled “cutting back Coral Honeysuckle”, I found some good information on the website: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/honeysuckle/prune-honeysuckle-plants.htm But even this website recommends that you check with your local cooperative extension agent to find out the status of honeysuckle in your area before planting.
So then I went to my University of Florida IFAS Extension at: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/ I found info on planting and blooming, but not cutting back. However a one of the talks at my monthly FNPS chapter meeting, the speaker and one of the more experienced members both talked about cutting back coral honeysuckle, sometimes even “to the ground” in late Fall / early Winter and have it successfully return.
I have not cut mine back yet, but I think I will take a more conservative approach and cut it back by about one third to one half, once more of the leaves and berries are gone. I don’t want to deprive the birds of the berries. If it doesn’t come back, well, lesson learned, and it won’t be expensive to replace and start over.