The only thing I know about gardening is that it starts with a "G". That said I would like any hints as to the common name of the following described plant: It is a honeysuckle which bears small (approx. one half inch length) orange flowers. I bought and planted it at my front door (Northern exposure) about 30 years ago in Saskatoon, Sask. It flourished and most importantly the odour from the flowers on warm days was extremely pleasing. I recall nothing other than that. My interest is because we have just completed a pergola, approx. 20' square, and are trying to decide what to plant. Secondly it would seem the plants will be located on the wester corners as the soil on the easter side is extremely, mostly sand. There is no room on the south or north sides. Is the logic correct for the siting of the plants? Thanks very much for any responses Beau
Beaufin, Went to a seminar years ago that suggested that - after the expense of putting in a pergola or a trellis of any kind that one need not settle for only one plant. They suggested that several plants could be used that bloom at different times of year. Your honeysuckle, maybe a clemetis, a climbing rose - there are all sorts of possibilities. I'm not "up" on honeysuckle but we are not that far apart and we have one here in the San Juan Islands that is probably not a native but has definetly found a very happy home and naturalized. It was orange blossomed also. Unfortunately I do not know the proper name of it. I had Douglas Firs that "bloomed". It did not smother or seem to be a threat to the tree like the local ivy.
Might it be Lonicera ciliosa. This has small orange flowers. See..... http://images.google.com/images?hl=...&q=lonicera ciliosa&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lonicera_ciliosa
Thanks for the help thus far. I have checked the sources suggested and extensively on the net and am still none the wiser as to what kind of honeysuckle I might have had. It seems to me that the flowers were single and the leaves were not the rounded shape. Will continue my search.
These are the bushes of honeysuckle in my area. They seem to grow wild. The bushes commonly have a mix of light orange flowers and white flowers on them. They smell great. Could this be it? http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_YSoTOhWS3y8/SFHLHvaRXzI/AAAAAAAAAuM/G8y6yvjy8Is/s400/Honeysuckle.JPG
The selection of honeysuckles that is hardy in Saskatoon, and was available 30 years ago, is fairly limited. I got the impression from the talk of the pergola that it was a vining honeysuckle that you grew in Saskatoon - yes or no? If yes, then 'Dropmore Scarlet' is likely, as it is the most commonly grown vining honeysuckle, and was so 30 years ago. There are other vining types, though less common, e.g. 'Mandarin'. I've never noticed any particular fragrance from any of these. There is also a native honeysuckle with orange flowers that is weakly vining, Lonicera glaucescens. If it was not vining, then Lonicera tatarica is a very good candidate, as it is again, very common. It's fragrant, but I don't know of any varieties with orange flowers; the flowers are white to pink. (Beeker, yours appears to be L. tatarica - it's invaded a vast range through North America.) There is a small number of other honeysuckle shrub species that would be hardy in Saskatoon but none with orange flowers.
