Does Full Sunlight Kill Wild Honeysuckle Vine?

Native Honeysuckle Vines

• Trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) grows to 20 feet high in the Eastern United States between U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 9. Yellow honeysuckle (Lonicera flava) grows to similar size in the Southeast, adaptable to USDA zones 5 through 9. Both of these native vines will grow in the shade as well as full sun.

Effects

• The main appeal of the honeysuckle vine is the fragrant, attractive flowers it generates. The tubular flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as bring color to a landscape. When grown in full sun settings, honeysuckle vines produce more flowers as opposed to those planted in the shade. In the case of the trumpet honeysuckle, for example, the number of flowers that emerge is "inversely proportional" to how much shade the vine receives, notes the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Growing Conditions

• Just planting a honeysuckle vine in full sun does not ensure its success. Trumpet and yellow honeysuckle require a well-draining site, but average soil will support their growth. The ideal scenario for these honeysuckles is one featuring damp, loamy soil. Honeysuckle is not difficult to grow under the right conditions and it is an easy plant to transplant.

More Honeysuckle Options

• Other honeysuckle options are available for your landscape. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) grows to 30 feet in poor-quality soils in full sun or shade, but it often escapes cultivation and becomes invasive. Woodbine (Lonicera periclymenum) is a European honeysuckle that does best in sunny spots, but also tolerates some shade. If you lack the support vines need to grow and climb, bush honeysuckles such as southern bush honeysuckle (Diervilla sessilifolia), a Southeastern variety, grows to 5 feet in full sunshine and has yellow flowers.