Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Dipsacales>Caprifoliaceae>Lonicera sempervirens L. var. sempervirens
| Coral Honeysuckle is a common semi-evergreen woody vine is found throughout the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of North Carolina. The flowers at left are not quite open yet. Pender Co., NC 4/19/09. |
| The ornamental trumpet-shaped flowers, which appear in April, are a favorite nectar source of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Pender Co., NC 4/19/09. |
| The last pair of leaves before the inflorescence are fused at the base. Pender Co., NC 4/19/09. |
| Orange Co., NC 4/9/07. |
| Granville Co., NC 4/26/09. |
| Mecklenburg Co., VA 5/2/05. |
| Also known as Trumpet Honeysuckle, this native hummingbird-pollinated vine is much less common than the invasive Japanese Honeysuckle (L. japonica). Vance Co., NC 4/28/04. |
| The tubular red flowers are not fragrant. Granville Co., NC 4/27/03. |
| The semi-evergreen leaves are dark green above, glaucous beneath. The usual variety in North Carolina is var. sempervirens, which has leaves with smooth upper surfaces and entire margins. The rare var. hirsutula has leaves with pubescent uppersurfaces and ciliate margins. Durham, NC. |
| Newly emerging spring leaves. Despite the specific epithet sempervirens ("ever green"), this honeysuckle is deciduous. Orange Co., NC 3/20/10. |
More information:
Floridata
NC Plants
Salisbury University
University of Connecticut
All photographs and text ©2010 by Will Cook unless otherwise indicated.