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Tecomaria capensis 'Sunset' |
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| | Magnificent backlit blooms |
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| | Growing up through the lattice |
| Common name |
cape honeysuckle |
| Family |
bignoniaceae |
| Life cycle |
shrub (Z8-11)   |
| Flowers |
orange |
| Size |
6-8' |
| Light |
sun-light shade |
| Cultural notes |
well drained soil |
Cape honeysuckle, native to South Africa, features glossy mid-green leaves and clusters of bright orange flowers that are reported to keep on going over a long season. The flowers attract hummingbirds. The species has more of a rambling or climbing habit, but this cultivar grows more like an upright shrub, a little wider than it is tall at maturity. However, we provided conditions for our specimen that must have reminded it of its wild cousins: we planted ours in mid-spring at the base of a lattice attached to our fence, and by the end of summer it had scrambled through its support to exceed the full height of our six-foot back fence, dominating its part of the border. Its flowers fizzed out by May though – we didn't see any of its orange glory through summer. Then suddenly, in mid-autumn, a new flush of bloom gave bold color to its section of the fence, abuzz with insects enjoying its nectar. It was worth the wait. Since we introduced this into our garden, it has had to cope with two severe freezes (in 2018 and 2021). In both cases, the top growth was killed outright, but growth resumed quickly from the base.
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| | Glossy green leaves |
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| | Just a few seed pods form from its many fading blooms |
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| | Carpeting the lifeless lawn in bright orange, early January |
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| | Strong new growth in March after February '21 megafreeze |
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: back fence border About my plant portraits
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