WateringTimesWatering plan, $19
Lonicera x heckrotti, WUCOLS IV

How often to water golden flame honeysuckle in California

In July on the north-central coast, established golden flame honeysuckle in loam needs a deep watering about every 13 days: about 2.2 gallons each time for a plant 2 feet across, about 1.1 gallons a week. Golden flame honeysuckle is a twining vine or sprawling shrub, deciduous or semi-evergreen, that climbs to about 13 feet. Its somewhat fragrant flowers bloom from spring into early summer and suit a pollinator garden. It does best in fertile, moist, well-drained soil in full sun with good air circulation.

VineRated for 3 of 6 zones

How often to water golden flame honeysuckle, month by month

Your city
Plant width
2 ft
Your soil

Type your city above and the days between waterings and the gallons appear here, worked out from your city's climate table. Or read the figures by climate zone further down.

Every month, on your water days. The personal plan prints this for golden flame honeysuckle and the rest of your yard, on the days your water supplier allows.Get the plan for $19

How this is worked out: established roots fill the top 1.5 feet of soil, and you water again when that soil has dried halfway. Loam soil holds about 1.5 inches of water per foot. Water the whole area the plant covers, and skip a watering after a good soaking rain.

Which soil do you have?

Dig down a few inches, take a handful of moist soil and squeeze it.

  • Sandy: gritty, falls apart when you open your hand, will not form a ball.
  • Loam: forms a soft ball that crumbles when you poke it.
  • Clay: forms a firm, sticky ball and squeezes out into a ribbon between thumb and finger.

Still not sure? Pick loam. Most garden beds sit between sand and clay.

How to measure plant width

A shrub with its width marked from one side to the other and the circle under it shaded blue

Measure across the plant, from the tips of the leaves on one side to the tips on the other.

Water the whole area the plant covers, shown in blue. The gallons here cover that area.

A wider plant means more gallons each watering, not more waterings. While it is young, measure again each spring.

How to tell it needs water

  • Soil dry 3 inches down at the base of the vine in summer signals golden flame honeysuckle needs a soak
  • Leaves wilting at the vine tips on hot afternoons can indicate thirst
  • White powdery coating on leaves points to powdery mildew, often in still, crowded spots
  • Curled new shoots with clusters of small insects point to aphids rather than water
  • Yellowing leaves and dieback at the base over soggy soil suggest overwatering

How to water it

  • Water the root zone at the base with drip or a slow hose, not over the foliage
  • Soak about 8 inches down, then let the top couple of inches dry
  • Plant in full sun in fertile, well-drained soil that is not alkaline
  • Train it on an open trellis or fence where air moves freely
  • Mulch the root zone to keep moisture even

Through the seasons

Water a new vine regularly through its first summer while roots spread. Established plants tolerate some drought. Bloom runs from spring into early summer. It may lose some or all leaves in cold winters. Winter rain usually covers its needs near the coast. WUCOLS rates golden flame honeysuckle moderate water on the north-central coast, on the south coast and in South Inland. WUCOLS has not evaluated it for the Central Valley, the high desert or the low desert.

In pots

Golden flame honeysuckle can grow in a large container with a trellis or obelisk. Use rich, well-drained mix and water when the top inch or two is dry, letting it drain. In summer sun, a pot may need water every couple of days. Empty the saucer each time. Prune after flowering to keep it tidy. In winter, water lightly while growth is slow. Turn the pot now and then so all sides get sun.

1 Your climate zone six WUCOLS zones, each from its own reference city
Not ratedWUCOLS does not rate Golden Flame Honeysuckle for the Central Valley zone
A year
no figure
Reference
Sacramento climate table
Counts
Plant need, before sprinkler losses

WUCOLS lists Golden Flame Honeysuckle as not evaluated for the Central Valley zone, so no monthly figure is computed here.

Monthly water need by climate zone

Golden Flame Honeysuckle: gallons per square foot per month, by WUCOLS climate zone

MonthN. CoastC. ValleyS. CoastS. InlandHi DesertLo Desert
Jan0.37–0.780.78––
Feb0.53–0.810.87––
Mar0.87–1.151.3––
Apr1.18–1.41.61––
May1.46–1.611.95––
Jun1.61–1.742.29––
Jul1.61–1.982.51––
Aug1.49–1.862.33––
Sep1.24–1.491.86––
Oct0.87–1.151.33––
Nov0.47–0.840.9––
Dec0.31–0.650.68––
Year12–15.518.41––

How this is worked out: the WUCOLS water rating for each zone times that zone’s climate for the month. A dash means WUCOLS does not rate the plant there. The figures are what the plant uses, before sprinkler losses.

Plants with the same water needs 10

Rated not evaluated in the Central Valley, like golden flame honeysuckle. Plants that drink alike can share one valve and one schedule.

Variegated KiwiActinidia kolomiktanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAnemone ClematisClematis montananot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingPrivet-Leaved JasmineJasminum leratiinot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingChilean BellflowerLapageria roseanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingEtruscan HoneysuckleLonicera etruscanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingTatarian HoneysuckleLonicera tataricanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBrazilian NightshadeSolanum seaforthianumnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingAmur River GrapeVitis amurensisnot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingCrimson Glory VineVitis coignetiaenot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley ratingBeach Morning GloryCalystegia soldanellanot rated, Central Valleyno Central Valley rating
Minutes for your sprinklers

Turn this into minutes on your water days

Every city page has a calculator that takes golden flame honeysuckle, your sprinkler type and the month, and gives the minutes per water day for that supplier's schedule. Or put it in a zone of the personal watering plan and get all twelve months printed.

Questions people ask

How often should I water golden flame honeysuckle in summer?

In July, established golden flame honeysuckle in loam needs a deep watering about every 11 days on the south coast and about every 9 days in the South Inland zone. Sandy soil holds less water, so waterings come closer together. Clay stretches them. Check the soil before each watering and skip one after a soaking rain.

How much water does golden flame honeysuckle need per day?

In July on the north-central coast, established golden flame honeysuckle needs about 0.2 gallons a day for a plant 2 feet across and about 0.7 gallons a day for a plant 4 feet across. Give it in deep waterings spread days apart rather than a little every day, so the whole root zone gets wet.

Does watering for golden flame honeysuckle change across California?

Yes. WUCOLS rates golden flame honeysuckle separately for each of the six California climate zones: moderate water in the North-Central Coastal zone, not evaluated in the Central Valley zone, moderate water in the South Coastal zone, moderate water in the South Inland zone, not evaluated in the High and Intermediate Desert zone, not evaluated in the Low Desert zone. The monthly table above shows how the same rating translates into different gallon amounts as reference evapotranspiration changes.

Why does my honeysuckle have white powder on the leaves?

That is powdery mildew. Give the vine full sun and better air circulation. Water at the base rather than overhead.

Can golden flame honeysuckle grow in shade?

It grows in shade, but flowering is poorer there. Full sun gives the best bloom. Shade also raises mildew risk.

Is golden flame honeysuckle invasive?

It rarely sets fruit and is not widely reported as invasive. It is listed as invasive in Illinois. It has not been reported as invasive elsewhere.

Can golden flame honeysuckle be a shrub?

Yes, it can be pruned to a 6 foot shrub. As a vine it reaches about 13 feet. Its growth is not dense enough for a full screen.

Does golden flame honeysuckle like alkaline soil?

No, it is intolerant of alkaline soil. Amend with compost or grow it in a pot of acidic mix. Yellowing leaves can signal the problem.

More plant watering guides

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Sources