Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler') in the Honeysuckles Database

By far my favorite trumpet honeysuckle. I really love the fact that it is especially long blooming. While other honeysuckles have their season of blooming, Major Wheeler blooms from spring to fall.

[ Reply to this comment | (1) ]

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) 'Major Wheeler' is a larval host plant to the Spring Azure Butterfly and the Snowberry Clearwing Moth. An excellent source of nectar, it has special value to bumble bees and attracts hummingbirds. Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler' produces bright red flowers in the late spring and early summer. Its autumn fruit attracts a variety of birds, including Quail, Purple Finch, Goldfinch, Hermit Thrush, and the American Robin. Its value to bees and birds makes Lonicera sempervirens a very useful addition to the garden for pollinator lovers and lovers of wildlife.

[ Reply to this comment | (1) ]

There's something really eye-catching about this variety, maybe its deep red blooms, maybe its healthy looking dense green foliage, maybe the hummingbirds circling like planes coming into O'Hare. OK, so I've only seen 2 hummers on it at a time, but it's still one of their favorites (and mine). I've bought 2 of them. One overwintered in a pot on the deck last winter (and it was one of our colder winters here in zone 6b) and is doing more than merely "creeping" in the ground this year, so I expect it to explode when it "leaps" next year. The new one has grown from 6" to 2 ft. just this spring and started blooming.

[ Reply to this comment | (1) ]

'Major Wheeler' has clusters of deep scarlet-red, 2" long, tubular flowers with yellow insides. Big red berries persist in fall and early winter. It is loaded with flowers from late spring on into the fall.

The plant is highly mildew resistant, the semi-evergreen leaves looking good all season long.

Coral Honeysuckle is best in full sun and average soil, but it would also do well in light shade.

This vine attracts hummingbirds. The plant is very choice, and it is not overly aggressive.

[ Reply to this comment | ]

I've been wanting to grow this plant for years, as I've read that it's a great plant for attracting hummingbirds. I finally found a trellis that I liked this year and because I figured the wild rabbits would chew it to the ground, I decided to plant it in a 20" container with the trellis slightly leaning next to it.

It's blooming a little in its first year and the hummers are drawn to it, but I know next year it will grow and bloom even better! Can't wait to get an earlier start attracting hummers in the spring!

Year 2014: it's looking great! Lots of flowers and I deadhead every chance I get to keep the flowers coming for Hummers.

[ Reply to this comment | ]

Coral Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens 'Major Wheeler') was introduced by High Country Gardens (Santa Fe, NM) in 2010.

It has been one of their best sellers continuously since the introduction!

In 2012 I finally got around to finding a nice sturdy metal trellis and bought this wonderful hummingbird plant from HCG.

Worried that the Eastern Cottontail rabbits would chew it all up, I decided to grow it in a 20-inch container with the trellis leaning up next to it. So far, it has done well. The wild rabbits haven't chewed on it and it did bloom some in its first year.

I'm really looking forward to attracting the hummers this year (it blooms late spring through the end of summer)!

The flowers will be blooming more profusely the second year and will have a longer season of blooming!

I love it and am so happy I got it to grow yearly! Hummingbirds definitely are attracted to the flowers!

[ Reply to this comment | ]