A vigorous honeysuckle with one of the longest flowering seasons of any we grow — lightly scented scarlet trumpets from midsummer right through to late autumn, each one opening to show a bright orange throat.
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Lonicera x brownii ‘Dropmore Scarlet’ is the honeysuckle to choose when you want colour for as long as possible. It is widely reckoned to have the longest flowering period of any honeysuckle, opening in midsummer and still producing flowers in late autumn, by which point most climbers have finished for the year.
The flowers are slim scarlet trumpets, carried in clusters at the ends of the shoots and lightly scented. As each one opens it reveals a bright orange throat, so a plant in full flow shows two tones at once against the blue-green leaves. The foliage is semi-evergreen, which means it holds on through milder winters and keeps the plant looking furnished rather than bare.
It is a genuinely vigorous climber and will cover a fence panel, arch, pergola or wall quickly once it settles in. Give it wires or a trellis to twine around — honeysuckles climb by winding their stems, so they need something slim to grip rather than a flat surface. Growth is twining and informal, so it suits a relaxed planting rather than anything clipped.
It is easy-going about position: full sun or partial shade, and any aspect, which makes it useful for the difficult side of a garden. What it does want is soil that stays moist but drains freely. It also tolerates coastal conditions, so it is a sensible choice near the sea where other climbers struggle.
Every plant we sell is backed by four decades of growing. Tell us about your garden and we’ll tell you honestly whether this is the right plant for it.
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