Amidst a sea of the invasive Japanese honeysuckle is found a jewel in the park. Growing in an area that has lost much of its tall trees, where there is more sun, the coral honeysuckle climbs up just a few trees.
The fused leaf just below the flower is a distinctive quality of the vine.
A great garden specimen, this plant is available in at plant nurseries. It can flower all summer long if it is planted in a good location.
This vine also attracts hummingbirds.
They do not have the aroma of the Japanese Honeysuckle, however its many other qualities more than make up for that. We had the Japanese honeysuckle in our yard growing up the fence. After ripping it out and planting the native one, we got more flowering and the hummingbirds. Somewhere there is a family of them now planning the 1000 + mile trip up to Philly this spring so they can live near our vine.
Choose a sunny spot for your contribution to the hummingbird ecosystem.