🔥 Dropmore Scarlet Honeysuckle

Lonicera x brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’
The scarlet hybrid honeysuckle: masses of flaming scarlet trumpets with orange throats, hardy and vigorous — the honeysuckle for a big fence, north or south.
Sun
Full sun to part shade; best bloom in full sun
Days to harvest
First bloom in its first or second season from a nursery plant; scarlet trumpets late spring to fall
Spacing
5-10 feet apart; 8-20 feet on a trellis or fence
Soil pH
6.0-7.5
Zones
USDA Zones 4-9; a North and Central Florida trial, not a South Florida promise

What it looks like

Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens (native coral honeysuckle)) — Lonicera sempervirens 012c
Lonicera sempervirens 012c. Photo: R. A. Nonenmacher, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens (native coral honeysuckle)) — Lonicera sempervirens 121670172
Lonicera sempervirens 121670172. Photo: Alex Abair, CC BY 4.0.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens (native coral honeysuckle)) — Lonicera sempervirens 2
Lonicera sempervirens 2. Photo: Eric Hunt, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photos show the species, Honeysuckle, since no cultivar-specific photo has been verified for this variety — the species photos above are already hosted on this site and attributed as on the species guide.

Why this variety

Dropmore Scarlet is a hybrid honeysuckle (Lonicera x brownii) bred for exactly what gardeners want from a trumpet vine: masses of flaming scarlet, tubular flowers with orange throats, opening late spring and repeating into fall, on a vigorous semi-evergreen climber. It was introduced by Dropmore Nurseries in Canada, which tells you its hardiness credentials — this is a vine built to survive real winters, not just mild ones.

It is not a native coral honeysuckle, and this guide does not pretend otherwise: it is a hybrid with coral honeysuckle in its parentage, and it is non-invasive, which is the point that matters most. Its flowers are not fragrant — a trade for that scarlet colour — but hummingbirds do not care about perfume, and neither, once they see the fence, will you. In Florida, treat it as a North and Central Florida plant; South Florida’s relentless heat and humidity are harder on it than a Canadian winter is.

How to grow

Plant in sun to part shade in well-drained soil, against a trellis, fence, or arbor, and give it room: 15-20 feet of growth is normal on a good support. It climbs by twining, so wires or lattice are essential. In Florida, give it afternoon shade in the hottest gardens and mulch heavily to keep roots cool — the ‘head in the sun, feet in the shade’ rule that clematis made famous applies to honeysuckle too.

Prune after the main flush to shape and encourage rebloom, and thin crowded stems for airflow — humidity is this vine’s Florida enemy, not cold. Work worm castings into the planting hole and top-dress with compost in spring; in sandy soils, organic matter is the difference between a vine that merely survives and one that flowers its head off.

For the general picture, start with the Honeysuckle growing guide, then use this guide for the details that make Dropmore Scarlet different. And a plain-language note on the hero stats above, because vines and shrubs are not vegetables: “Spacing” here means mature planting distance, and “Days to harvest” means time to first bloom — the moment the plant starts paying you back in flowers, not a picking date.

And a plain-language note on the hero stats above, because vines and shrubs are not vegetables: “Spacing” here means mature planting distance, and “Days to harvest” means time to first bloom — the moment the plant starts paying you back in flowers, not a picking date.

Water & feeding

Water to establish, then deeply during dry spells; consistent moisture extends bloom, while drought stress shortens it. Water at soil level, mulch thickly, and feed in spring with a balanced organic fertilizer. Avoid wetting foliage late in the day, which invites mildew in humid weather.

Common problems

  • Aphids on tender shoot tips in spring — a strong jet of water usually ends the party; ladybugs finish it.
  • Powdery mildew in humid, still air — give it sun and airflow, and avoid overhead watering late in the day.
  • Japanese honeysuckle confusion — if a volunteer honeysuckle shows fragrant cream-to-yellow flowers and black berries, that is the invasive Lonicera japonica, not this plant. Remove it rather than trellising it.
  • Leaf damage from honeysuckle leaf miners or caterpillars — cosmetic on a vigorous vine; prune out badly hit stems rather than spraying the hummingbirds’ dinner.

Harvest

The harvest is a scarlet fence and a hummingbird highway from late spring to fall. Cut stems in the morning for vases — the trumpets hold their colour well — and prune lightly through the season to keep new flowers coming. As with all honeysuckles, the berries are ornamental, not edible, and this guide’s harvest stops at flowers and wildlife.

Nerdy fact: Dropmore Scarlet’s parentage is a horticultural handshake across the Atlantic: Lonicera x brownii crosses the North American coral honeysuckle with the European and Asian Lonicera hirsuta, the hairy honeysuckle. Hybrid vigour — the tendency of a cross to outgrow both parents — is why this vine is both hardier than coral honeysuckle and more floriferous than hairy honeysuckle. It is, in plant terms, the best of both continents.

Browse all plant & pest guides

Saving seeds

Dropmore Scarlet is a hybrid honeysuckle, Lonicera × brownii, so seedlings won’t hold its scarlet flowers — propagate it by cuttings or layering instead. The Saving seeds section of the Honeysuckle guide covers seed for the species generally.