Serotina Honeysuckle Plants

• Variety: Serotina (Late Dutch) – the honeysuckle that keeps going when others have stopped
• Latin name: Lonicera periclymenum 'Serotina'
• Type: Deciduous native honeysuckle
• Flower: Clusters of purplish-red and cream trumpets, followed by glossy red berries
• Scent: Strong, especially in the evening (moth-pollinated)
• Climbing method: Twining stems
• Height: To 7m (22ft)
• Flowering: July–October
• Hardiness: H6 – fully hardy throughout the UK
• RHS AGM: Yes (confirmed December 2024)
• Sold as: P9 and 3L deep pots, grown from cuttings by us. Peat-free compost
• Plant outdoors: Year-round
• Delivered: March–November typically. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Serotina Honeysuckle – Late, Scented, and Worth the Wait

The name does what it says. Serotina comes from the Latin for "late in flowering," and that is exactly the point of this plant. While Belgica (the Early Dutch honeysuckle) flowers in May and June, Serotina picks up the baton in July and carries on until October. The flowers are clusters of purplish-red trumpets streaked with cream and yellow, produced in extraordinary quantities; a well-grown plant on a pergola or strong trellis can carry several hundred at once. The scent on a warm evening can be enormous. This is a plant built for a seat underneath it.

Serotina is a form of our native wild honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum, so it is completely at home in UK gardens. It grows in sun or shade, on most soils, and is fully hardy everywhere in Britain. It climbs by twining and will reach 7m given something to grow on. A strong pergola is ideal; so is a sturdy trellis, an established tree, or a large wall. A Bramley apple makes an excellent host. After the flowers come glossy red berries in autumn, which blackbirds and thrushes appreciate. It holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit.

The Belgica and Serotina Trick

We know clever gardeners who plant Belgica and Serotina in the same hole. The two are perfectly happy together and they give you honeysuckle in flower from May right through to October, five months of scent from a single planting position. Belgica opens the season; Serotina closes it. Both are native L. periclymenum forms, so they share the same cultural needs and neither bullies the other. If you have a pergola with a wisteria on one side, plant both honeysuckles on the other and you have scent from May until the frosts.

Companion Planting for a Scented Garden

The great companion for Serotina is a wisteria on the same pergola or an adjacent wall: the wisteria finishes in June, the honeysuckle takes over in July. For a different kind of succession, Étoile Violette clematis gives rich purple flowers from July to September, threading through the honeysuckle stems for a bold colour pairing. Graham Thomas honeysuckle (cream and gold, named for the great plantsman) offers a lighter, complementary scheme if you want two honeysuckles on the same structure without the same-hole approach. Plant lavender at the base for a Mediterranean feel at ground level, or hardy geraniums for easy summer colour beneath.

Grown Here, Sent to You

We raise our honeysuckle from cuttings taken from our own stock plants; it is one of the easier climbers to propagate and the plants root readily. All growing is done in peat-free compost with biological pest controls. Every member of the Ashridge team, from the propagation bench to the packing shed, handles climber production at some stage. They know the plants because they helped grow them. We are a Which? Gardening Best Buy supplier and a Feefo Platinum Partner, and every plant is guaranteed. Browse the full honeysuckle range.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I prune Serotina honeysuckle?

In late winter or early spring, before new growth starts. Cut out dead or congested stems and shorten the remainder to keep the plant within bounds. Serotina flowers on the current year's growth, so winter pruning does not cost you flowers. If you want to renovate an overgrown plant, cut the whole thing back to about 30cm above ground in February; it will regrow vigorously. For more detail, see our honeysuckle planting and care guide.

Is Serotina honeysuckle evergreen?

No. Serotina is deciduous, dropping its leaves in autumn after the berries have formed. If you want an evergreen honeysuckle, look at the Japanese types: Halliana is semi-evergreen and keeps most of its leaves in mild winters.

How strongly scented is Serotina?

Very. The scent is strongest in the evening, which is when moths pollinate it. On a warm July night, you can smell a well-established plant from several metres away. This is why it works so well on a pergola or beside a seating area. If you want even more scent, Scentsation is generally considered the most intensely fragrant of the lot.

Why is my honeysuckle getting mildew?

Dry roots and poor air circulation. Honeysuckle planted tight against a wall, where the soil is baked dry and air cannot flow freely, is especially prone. Keep the roots moist with a thick mulch, water in dry spells, and if possible give the base of the plant some breathing room rather than planting it flat against masonry. Mildew is unsightly but rarely fatal.

When is the best time to plant Serotina?

Autumn and spring are ideal, but because our plants are container-grown you can plant at any time of year as long as the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. Water well after planting and keep the roots moist through the first summer.

Are honeysuckle berries safe to eat?

No. The bright red berries are mildly toxic to humans. They are, however, excellent bird food. Blackbirds, thrushes, and waxwings all take them, so they add genuine wildlife value to the garden in autumn and winter.