Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Tellmann's honeysuckle bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Tellmann's honeysuckle, Redgold honeysuckle (Lonicera x tellmanniana).

More about tellmann's honeysuckle

About Tellmann's honeysuckle

Lonicera x tellmanniana · also called Tellmann's honeysuckle, Redgold honeysuckle · flowering

A spectacular hybrid climbing honeysuckle (L. sempervirens x L. tragophylla) bearing large, coppery-orange to golden-yellow tubular flowers in generous clusters from late spring to midsummer. Unscented but extraordinarily showy; RHS Award of Garden Merit recipient. Deciduous and hardy to USDA zone 4, it performs best with sun on its canopy and cool shade at its roots.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower: Often a position problem — insufficient light reaching the canopy, or roots that are too dry. Ensure the stems receive adequate sun and mulch the root zone heavily. Newly planted specimens may need two to three seasons to produce a strong display.

The reasons tellmann's honeysuckle isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming tellmann's honeysuckle traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding tellmann's honeysuckle a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get tellmann's honeysuckle to flower

Maximise sun. Give tellmann's honeysuckle the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for tellmann's honeysuckle and get the feeding right with the tellmann's honeysuckle fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Tellmann's honeysuckle flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full tellmann's honeysuckle care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Tellmann's honeysuckle blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my tellmann's honeysuckle flower?

Tellmann's honeysuckle blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make tellmann's honeysuckle bloom?

Give tellmann's honeysuckle the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does tellmann's honeysuckle normally bloom?