When to plant and prune Honeysuckle (Climbing)
Honeysuckle (Climbing) flowers from mid June to late September and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Honeysuckle (Climbing) is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| East Anglia | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Northern England | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Northern Ireland | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late January to late February | mid June to late September | mid March to late March |
Growing notes
Keep roots cool and shaded with underplanting or mulch while allowing the top to climb into sun — full sun on a south wall can scorch leaves and encourage powdery mildew.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 90 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 400 cm
- Eventual spread
- 200 cm
- Hardiness
- H5
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 40 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 3 out of 5
Feeding
Feed once a year in spring with a general fertiliser such as Growmore; mulch annually with organic matter.
Pruning: what to avoid
Early-flowering honeysuckles (flower on last year's growth) must be pruned right after flowering in late summer, not in spring, or next year's flowers are cut off. Late-flowering types (flower on current season's growth) are pruned in spring instead.
Pruning group
Late-flowering types: prune in spring; early-flowering types: prune after flowering in late summer
What usually goes wrong
- powdery mildew (especially in hot, dry, sunny spots)
- aphids on young shoots
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for honeysuckle (climbing).