🌼 Cedar Lane Honeysuckle

What it looks like

Why this variety

Cedar Lane is the coral honeysuckle for texture lovers: the same orange-red trumpet flowers and hummingbird habit as other coral selections, but over unusually narrow, elongated, blue-green foliage that gives the vine a softer, finer texture than the broad-leafed forms. That foliage difference matters in design — a narrow-leaf vine reads as lace where a broad-leaf vine reads as mass — and Cedar Lane is the coral honeysuckle to plant where you want flowers and finesse: a trellis by a seating area, an arbor over a path, or a fence seen up close.

The trade-off is availability and vigor: Cedar Lane is less common in the trade than Major Wheeler or Blanche Sandman, so you may need to order it rather than find it on a bench, and it still climbs vigorously and needs a sturdy support and annual pruning after flowering. Give it sun to part shade, drainage, and a trellis, prune after bloom, and do not confuse it with Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), which is invasive in Florida and smothers native vegetation — plant native coral selections like Cedar Lane instead, and remove Japanese honeysuckle where you find it. Do not eat honeysuckle berries.

If you are new to choosing between cultivars, the Varieties Matter guide explains why the name after the plant matters as much as the plant itself. Cedar Lane is a perfect example: it is not just a honeysuckle in the abstract, it is a honeysuckle with a specific job, a specific history, and specific strengths.

Florida honesty: coral honeysuckle is a genuine statewide native vine in Florida, and Cedar Lane thrives statewide in sun to part shade with drainage, with its narrow blue-green foliage holding up well in Florida heat. Give it a sturdy support, prune after flowering, and enjoy hummingbird trumpets from spring into fall. Its finer texture is an asset in a small Florida garden, where a broad-leaf vine can feel heavy by August.

How to grow

Plant in spring or fall in sun to part shade and well-drained soil, against a sturdy trellis, fence, or arbor — coral honeysuckle twines, so it needs something to wrap around, not a flat wall. Work worm castings into the planting hole, water through the first season, and prune after flowering to keep it on its support rather than leggy. Do not plant Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) — it is invasive in Florida — and remove it where you find it.

Set plants 5-10 feet apart on a trellis or fence in soil with a pH around 6.0-7.5. Work worm castings into the bed at planting and mulch to hold moisture. A well-fed honeysuckle plant rewards that care directly: steadier growth, better bloom, and a show that actually shows up.

Water & feeding

Water through the first season, then water in drought — established coral honeysuckle is fairly drought-tolerant, but a young vine that dries out stalls and blooms thinly. Water at the soil line, mulch to hold moisture, and feed lightly: castings at planting plus a balanced organic feed in spring is enough.

Common problems

• Confusion with invasive Japanese honeysuckle — Lonicera japonica is invasive in Florida and smothers native plants; plant native coral selections instead and remove Japanese honeysuckle where you find it.
• Vigorous escape off its support — prune after flowering and never let it climb into trees or onto roofs.
• Mildly toxic berries — honeysuckle berries are for birds, not people; do not eat them.
• Aphids on new growth — blast with water and encourage ladybugs; avoid broad-spectrum sprays.
• Leaf blight in humid, crowded plantings — space for air, water at the soil line, and remove affected leaves; Blanche Sandman resists it best.

Harvest

Cut a few flowering stems for scent and bouquets in summer, when trumpets are fully open — coral honeysuckle flowers last a day or two in water and suit small, hummingbird-garden bouquets, though their scent to us is faint. Prune after flowering for shape, and leave berries standing in fall for waxwings, cardinals, and finches — the birds’ harvest matters more than ours. Do not eat the berries.

Saving seeds

Cedar Lane is a named selection, so seed saved from it won’t come true — take cuttings instead. The Saving seeds section of the Honeysuckle guide covers seed for the straight species.