Red Cape Honeysuckle

Cape honeysuckle grows as a loose, scrambling shrub rather than a true climber. It has no tendrils or twining stems; instead, its long, arching branches lean on nearby plants, walls, and fences and clamber upward as they lengthen. The leaves are odd-pinnate, meaning each leaf is divided into an uneven number of small leaflets, usually five to nine, arranged along a central stalk with a single leaflet at the tip. Each leaflet is glossy and edged with fine teeth. The flowers appear in short, upright clusters called racemes at the ends of the stems, each bloom a curved tube about two inches long. After flowering, the plant forms slender, flattened capsules that split open to release papery, two-winged seeds carried off by the wind. In mild areas, the shrub stays evergreen; where winters are colder, it may drop foliage or die back and flush out again in spring.

In its native range across southern and eastern Africa, cape honeysuckle grows in coastal bush and scrub and along forest margins, often on well-drained slopes. That background explains much of how it behaves in the garden. Its tubular flowers evolved to be pollinated by sunbirds, small nectar-feeding birds that probe the deep blooms much as hummingbirds do. In North American gardens, the same flowers draw hummingbirds and butterflies, while honeybees work them for nectar. Once its roots are established, the plant handles heat, reflected warmth from walls and paving, coastal salt, and stretches of dry weather, though it flowers best and looks fullest with occasional deep watering and sharp drainage. It resents soggy, poorly drained soil more than it resents drought. Cold is its main weakness: foliage is usually damaged near 25°F, but the roots are hardier, and plants cut back by frost commonly resprout from the base once warm weather returns. It also needs room, since its fast-growing stems require regular pruning to stay tidy and can overwhelm smaller plantings if left alone.

The plant’s names carry a tangled history. Botanists once folded its genus, Tecomaria, into the larger American genus Tecoma, which is why many nurseries still label it Tecoma capensis. More recent DNA studies showed that it is actually most closely related to Podranea, a different group of African climbers, so the genus Tecomaria was brought back for it. Despite the common name, it is not a true honeysuckle either; those belong to the unrelated genus Lonicera and simply share the same tubular, nectar-rich flower shape. In its homeland, the leaves are browsed by wild game and grazing livestock, and the plant has long been grown well beyond Africa for its long flowering season and its usefulness as an informal hedge or bank cover. Its foliage and flowers are not known to be toxic, which makes it a practical choice around pets and children.