Coral Honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Native to South Carolina (estimated)

Lonicera sempervirens — bloom photograph — Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original photograph · Wikimedia thumbnail; no crop or retouching

A climbing native honeysuckle with red-orange trumpets visited by hummingbirds.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

33CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including SC

Genus host records with ranges including SC · Lonicera

Hemaris diffinisSnowberry Clearwing
Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Archips negundanaLarger Boxelder Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
Callizzia amorataGray Scoopwing
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper

Show all 33

Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
Euphydryas phaetonThe Baltimore, The Black Checker
Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Hyppa xylinoidesCommon Hyppa
Leucania pilipalpisZippered Wainscot
Leucania ursulaUrsula Wainscot
Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Sympistis badistrigaBrown-Lined Sallow
Uresiphita reversalisGenista Caterpillar, Genista Cbroom Moth
Zanclognatha dentataToothed Zanclognatha, Toothed Fan-Foot
Opostegoides scioterma

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

16BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Lonicera

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

10BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Lonicera

Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
Ixoreus naeviusVaried Thrush
Mimus polyglottosNorthern Mockingbird
Myadestes townsendiTownsend's Solitaire
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Ruby-throated hummingbird — Drinks flower nectar

Songbirds — Eat the red berries

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–9b
Soil pH: Acidic to neutral
Flower color: Yellow, orange or red
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth habit: Several stems
Foliage color: Green
Fruit begins: Summer
Fruit ends: Fall

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Provide a trellis or fence. Prune after flowering and avoid excessive nitrogen fertilizer. NC State Extension

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “Late summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Flower color · “Yellow, orange or red” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Foliage color · “Green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth habit · “Several stems” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “10–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Deciduous or evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Acidic to neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Recognizing it

Opposite upper leaves join around the stem below clusters of narrow, non-fragrant flowers. Identification source

Also known as

Coral Honeysuckle; Trumpet Honeysuckle

Conservation status

South Carolina rank	Not available
Global rank	G5
SC status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources