Honeysuckle is a climbing vine, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 9. Its late summer flowers are a real draw for honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths.
Honeysuckle — the short answer
Honeysuckle: grown in zones 4–9, full sun, pH 6–8.5.
- USDA zones
- 4–9
- Hardy to zone 4a — NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; USDA PLANTS Database (-33 °F, converted).
- Soil pH
- 6–8.5
- USDA PLANTS
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Growable Ground Plant Database
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Honeysuckle on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether honeysuckle actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score honeysuckle against your land's real conditions.
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What Honeysuckle is
Honeysuckle grows as a perennial and reaches around 15 feet at maturity. It blooms red in late summer.
How to grow Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle grows in USDA zones 4 through 9. Honeysuckle does best in full sun — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 6 to 8.5, on well-drained ground. It needs around 700 growing degree days to mature, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
4-9
Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; USDA PLANTS Database lists -33 °F, converted to zone 4a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.
Soil pH
6 - 8.5
USDA PLANTS
Sun
Full Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Cold Hardiness
-33°F
The coldest temperature this plant is documented to survive.
USDA PLANTS
GDD Required
700+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
15 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Start the season right
Plant honeysuckle in full sun with at least 2 hours of direct sun. It grows in the cool halves of the year, so sow it in spring or late summer rather than waiting for midsummer heat.
Match the soil
Honeysuckle prefers pH 6 to 8.5 (USDA PLANTS). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Harvest at its peak
Cut honeysuckle blooms in the cool of the morning, just as they open, for the longest display.
Where Honeysuckle thrives
Honeysuckle is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 9. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 4–9 spans average winter lows from -30°F to 30°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers 33 outright and splits 18 more down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 4–9·Where Honeysuckle growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Honeysuckle stands, state by state
Honeysuckle is rated for zones 4–9 — a cold floor USDA puts at -30 to -20°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 33 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 18 more, and 0 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
Fully inside zones 4–9
33 states
3 of 33 shown
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Honeysuckle
Growing guides for honeysuckle
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — honeysuckle is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Honeysuckle is a standout pollinator plant — high value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Your land is one point inside Honeysuckle's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Honeysuckle will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether honeysuckle actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds
How we know this about Honeysuckle
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Honeysuckle in my zone?
Honeysuckle grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9 (Rated hardy to zone 4a by NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox; USDA PLANTS Database lists -33 °F, converted to zone 4a, checked Oct 2026. Ceiling: not verified.). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Honeysuckle?
Honeysuckle is a cool-season crop, so it goes in during the cool halves of the year — early spring, and again in late summer for a fall planting — rather than at the height of summer heat. Your local frost dates set the exact window — a Growable Ground report reads them for your address.
How much sun does Honeysuckle need?
Honeysuckle needs full sun — a spot that catches at least 2 hours of direct summer sun a day. In more shade it still grows, but usually gives a smaller, later crop. The catch is that a yard rarely gets even light everywhere — a fence, the house, or one tall tree can quietly take those hours. A Growable Ground report reads the real sun-hours across your land, canopy and buildings included, so you can pick the brightest bed before you plant.
What soil does Honeysuckle need?
Honeysuckle prefers soil pH 6 to 8.5, on well-drained ground (USDA PLANTS). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Honeysuckle attract pollinators?
Yes — honeysuckle's flowers are a strong nectar and pollen source for honeybees, native bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and moths. (Source: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.)
Is Honeysuckle safe for pets?
Honeysuckle is toxic to dogs and cats with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle state by state
Every state honeysuckle's zone reaches — 39 link straight to that state's honeysuckle growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.