Echter's Plant Finder

Other Names:  syn. Tecoma capensis, Cape Honeysuckle

Description:

A striking variety, producing clusters of showy, red-orange trumpet flowers through fall and winter; a stunning landscape or garden accent; plant in sun or light shade, needs little water; can be sheared for use as a screen or hedge

Ornamental Features

Red Cape Honeysuckle features showy clusters of lightly-scented red trumpet-shaped flowers with orange overtones along the branches from mid fall to late winter. Its attractive serrated pointy compound leaves remain dark green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Red Cape Honeysuckle is a multi-stemmed annual with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Red Cape Honeysuckle is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Red Cape Honeysuckle will grow to be about 16 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground. Although it's not a true annual, this plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type, but has a definite preference for acidic soils, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.

Red Cape Honeysuckle is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.