The exuberant orange, trumpet-shaped flowers of the cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis or Tecoma capensis) provide off-season color -- from fall through spring -- in gardens from U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11. The plant has evergreen foliage and takes two forms, a small shrub from 6 to 8 feet tall or a vine that grows from 15 to 30 feet long. The plant is most commonly propagated by softwood tip cuttings, according to University of Florida Extension, but new plants can also grow from runners and seed.
Cape honeysuckle is a South African native with clusters of tubular red-orange flowers that are also a favorite of hummingbirds. Cultivars that bloom in yellow, light orange, scarlet and pink are also available. The plant grows best in full sun to partial shade and well-drained, even sandy soil. It has some salt tolerance and is appropriate for coastal gardens. As a vine, it can scramble over structures or slopes and even be trained into espalier shapes. Despite its lush look, it has low water requirements and is recommended for xeriscapes and fire-safe landscaping. The plant can drop its leaves in cooler areas and should be protected from temperatures below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. It has been known to come back from its roots when it is damaged by cold. Mulch the roots to insulate them from temperature extremes.
Cape honeysuckle can be propagated from new growth, called softwood, when it is still succulent, but snaps when it is bent. Softwood cuttings root and start producing new growth in two to 14 weeks. Factors that influence the time it takes a cutting to begin to grow include the type of plant, the season the cutting is taken, temperature and moisture in the propagation environment, and the use of a rooting hormone. Since cape honeysuckle has a rapid growth rate, cuttings taken in early spring when the plant is in its active growth period, and that have rooting hormone applied to the cut and are kept moist and at a consistent 70 to 75 F, begin to grow closer to the lower end of that range. Check for new growth and gently tug to check for root resistance to make sure the plant is growing before transitioning it to its permanent location.
From Rooted Runners
Cape honeysuckle naturally propagates itself through layering. As stems of the vine touch the ground during the growing season, the plant develops roots at the points on its stems where leaves emerge -- small swellings at the joints between the stem and the leaflet stems. Gardeners can help the plant along by intentionally burying a portion of the stem in spring. Roots and top growth develop over summer. Snip the stem that connects the new cape honeysuckle to the parent plant in the fall, when the runner can be dug up and immediately replanted in its new site.
Cape honeysuckle produce clusters of bean-like seedpods when flowers fade. The pods open as they dry to disperse seeds that have papery wings that can be caught by the wind to germinate where they fall. Gardeners can harvest the pods before they open and plant the seed under a thin layer of sand or seed-starting mix -- after removing the papery wings -- in early spring or summer. Cape honeysuckle seed germinates and begins to grow in six to 21 days, with faster germination times occurring when the seed tray is heated from the bottom and covered with plastic to conserve moisture. Cape honeysuckle flowers in its second year after planting from seed.
- Floridata: Tecomaria Capensis
- University of California Extension: Under the Solano Sun - Light Up the Fall
- University of Florida Extension: Propagation of Landscape Plants
- North Carolina State University Extension: Vines - Tecomaria Capensis
- Southern Nevada Water Authority: Cape Honeysuckle - Tecoma Capensis
- Firesafe Marin: Firewise Plant List
- World Agroforestry Centre: Tecomaria Capensis
- The Seed Site: Germination Records