Honeysuckle 'Serpentine' Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine'

☠ Toxic to humans

🐾 Toxic to pets

🌸 Blooming

🍪 Not edible

‍🌱 Easy-care

ABOUT

'Serpentine' is a deciduous, twining climberwith dark green leaves and bluish-purple young shoots. Whorls of tubular, scented flowers aredark pinkoutside, creamy-yellow inside,from late spring to late summer

Plant Info

Care

Common Problems

About this plant

Names
- Family
  Caprifoliaceae
- Synonyms
  Woodbine, European Honeysuckle, Serpentine Honeysuckle
- Common names
  Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine'.
Characteristics
- Life cycle
  Perennials
- Foliage type
  Deciduous
- Color of leaves
  Green
- Flower color
  Mixed
- Height
  15 feet (4.57 meters)
- Spread
  10 feet (3.05 meters)
- Plant type
  Climber
- Hardiness zones
  5
- Native area
  Europe

Benefits

General Benefits
- Attracts Wildlife: Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine', commonly known as Honeysuckle, attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, providing a source of nectar.
- Aesthetic Appeal: Honeysuckle's fragrant and colorful flowers enhance the beauty of gardens and landscapes.
- Privacy Screen: Growing Honeysuckle on trellises or fences can provide privacy and reduce noise from surroundings.
- Easy to Grow: Honeysuckle is hardy and adaptable to a variety of soil types, making it easy for gardeners of all levels.
- Shade Tolerance: Honeysuckle can grow in partial shade, offering flexibility in garden design and plant pairing.
- Seasonal Interest: Honeysuckle offers long flowering periods and autumn berries that provide year-round interest in the garden.
- Erosion Control: The plant's vigorous growth and root system can help stabilize soil on slopes, reducing the risk of erosion.
- Wildlife Habitat: The dense foliage provides nesting sites and shelter for birds.
- Fragrance: The sweet scent can perfume an entire garden area, adding a sensory dimension to the environment.
- Drought Tolerance: Once established, Honeysuckle can tolerate periods of drought, making it suitable for xeriscaping and low-water gardens.
Medical Properties
- Anti-inflammatory: Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine', commonly known as honeysuckle, may have compounds that could help reduce inflammation.
- Antibacterial: The plant has been traditionally used for its potential antibacterial properties, possibly helping to fight against certain bacterial infections.
- Antiviral: Honeysuckle might possess antiviral capabilities that could be beneficial in managing viral infections.
- Antioxidant: Contains substances that may act as antioxidants, potentially helping to protect cells from damage.
- Soothing agent: Honeysuckle is sometimes used for its soothing properties, which could help in alleviating minor skin irritations.
_Reference for information: Information regarding the medical properties of Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine' (honeysuckle) is not readily available, and the usage of plants for medicinal purposes should be based on scientific research verifying their efficacy and safety._
Air-purifying Qualities
This plant is not specifically known for air purifying qualities.
Other Uses
- Honeysuckle 'Serpentine' can be used in basketry; the flexible stems of older plants can be woven to create natural art or functional items like baskets.
- The flowers are edible and can be used to add a sweet flavor to salads or as a decorative garnish for desserts.
- The plant can be used as a natural climbing structure for gardens, providing support for other climbers like peas and beans.
- As a natural dye, the honeysuckle can be used to color fabrics or yarns with shades of green when used with a mordant.
- Its strong fragrance makes it a good natural alternative for perfuming small spaces when flowers are brought indoors.
- The honeysuckle can serve as a natural screen or hedge for privacy in gardens, without the need for artificial fencing.
- Honeysuckle wood is hard and can be used for making small carved objects or inlay work once properly dried and treated.
- The plant's quick growth and dense foliage make it ideal for creating living roofs or overhangs for shade in garden structures.
- Due to its twining habit, honeysuckle can be trained into living sculptures or topiaries for aesthetic garden designs.
- Culinary syrups and jellies can be made from the flowers, offering a unique flavor for cocktails or culinary dishes.

Interesting Facts

Feng Shui
The plant Honeysuckle is not used in Feng Shui practice.
Zodiac Sign Compitability
The plant Honeysuckle is not used in astrology practice.
Plant Symbolism
- Love and Bonds: Lonicera periclymenum, commonly known as Honeysuckle, often symbolizes devoted affection and the bond of love, given its tendency to entwine around structures, which can be seen as an allegory for the intertwining of lives.
- Happiness: The sweet fragrance of Honeysuckle is known to evoke feelings of joy and contentment, thus it is commonly associated with the creation of happy homes.
- Generosity: With its abundant and sweet nectar, Honeysuckle stands for the selfless giving of oneself and generosity towards others.
- Nostalgia and Memories: The fragrance of Honeysuckle flowers is often considered evocative, capable of triggering memories and sentimentality, symbolizing the past and the sweetness of memory.
- Protection: In folklore, Honeysuckle was believed to offer protection when grown around a home's entrance, symbolically shielding it from negative energies and bad luck.

💧

Every 1-2 weeks

Water

☀️

2500 - 10000 Lux

Light

💦️

Humidity

🪴

Every 2-3 years

Repotting

🌱️

Spring to Summer

Propogation

✂️️

As needed

Pruning

Water
For the Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine'), it is important to provide consistent moisture, especially during the growing season. Water the plant deeply once a week, ensuring that the water penetrates the soil to reach the roots. The amount of water should approximate 1-2 gallons, depending on the size of the plant and the weather conditions. During hot or dry periods, increase watering frequency to twice per week. If the soil remains consistently wet, reduce the amount of water to prevent root rot. In the winter months, reduce watering significantly, but do not allow the soil to become completely dry.
Light
Honeysuckle thrives in full sun to partial shade. For optimal growth, position the plant where it receives at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day, though it can tolerate some light shade, especially in hotter climates. An east-facing or west-facing garden spot that offers bright, indirect light for the remainder of the day is ideal.
Temperature
Honeysuckle prefers temperate climates and can endure a wide range of temperatures. While it can survive temperatures as low as 20°F, it thrives in conditions between 60°F to 80°F. The plant should be protected from extreme cold or frost, as this can damage the foliage and stems.
Pruning
Pruning Honeysuckle helps to maintain its shape, promote vigorous growth, and enhance blooming. Prune in late winter or early spring before new growth begins, removing dead or weak stems and shaping the plant. You can also prune after flowering to encourage a second bloom. Prune the plant at least once a year for maintenance, and more frequently if you're training it on a trellis or to control its size.
Cleaning
As needed
Soil
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine') thrives in well-draining soil rich in organic matter, with a pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. A mix of loam, garden compost, and leaf mold in equal parts works well, ensuring moisture retention and fertility, without the soil becoming waterlogged.
Repotting
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine') doesn't require frequent repotting; it typically should be repotted every 2-3 years, or when it outgrows its current pot. Spring is an ideal time for repotting, allowing the plant to become established before the growing season.
Humidity & Misting
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine') prefers moderate humidity levels but is quite adaptable and can tolerate the average humidity found in most outdoor environments. Indoor humidity levels should mimic outdoor conditions, avoiding extremes of too dry or too humid.
Suitable locations
- Indoor
  Provide bright light, moderate humidity, and good air circulation.
- Outdoor
  Place in sun to partial shade, keep soil moist and well-drained.
- Hardiness zone
  4-9 USDA
Life cycle
The common name for Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine' is Honeysuckle. Initially, the life cycle begins with seed germination, which requires a period of cold stratification to break dormancy. Upon sprouting, the seedling starts to develop a root system and shoots that support leaf growth, entering the vegetative stage. As the honeysuckle matures, it enters the flowering stage usually in late spring to summer, producing fragrant, tubular flowers that attract pollinators and can result in cross-pollination. Following pollination, the plant produces red to black berries as its fruiting stage, which contain seeds for the next generation and are often dispersed by birds. Finally, the plant enters a period of dormancy in the late autumn and winter months, though as a perennial it will proceed through multiple cycles of growth, flowering, and dormancy throughout its lifetime.
Propogation
- Propogation time
  Spring to Summer
- The most popular method for propagating Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum 'Serpentine') is through semi-hardwood cuttings. This process typically takes place during the summer months when the new growth has begun to mature and harden slightly. To propagate by cuttings, select a healthy stem with several nodes and cut a piece about 6 to 10 inches (15-25 cm) in length just below a node. Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and dip the cut end into rooting hormone to encourage root development. Insert the cutting into a pot filled with a mixture of peat and perlite, ensuring that several nodes are buried. The cutting should then be placed in indirect light and kept consistently moist. Roots will usually develop within a few weeks, after which the new honeysuckle plant can be gradually acclimated to outdoor conditions before being planted in the garden.