Caring for winter honeysuckle will allow you to enjoy this fragrant bloom year round without having it kill off other shrubs and plants in the area. Honeysuckle has a bad name in North Carolina because it can take over a large area in a short period of time. However, winter honeysuckle is a little different.  It can be an enjoyable shrub that will end up attracting butterflies and hummingbirds later in the year. To keep it from taking over your yard you need to do a little maintenance.

• If you haven’t already started to spread mulch around the base of the honeysuckle, now is the time to do so. The first frost in Charlotte can come as early as October, so get started on this right away.
• Make sure the soil stays moist but not soggy. Once the ground starts to frost you can stop watering. The frost and dew will provide the necessary moisture.
• Watch the vines and keep them cut back throughout the winter. Winter honeysuckle will continue to grow, and during the colder months it will branch out and start to smother other plants. Keeping it pruned back to about 6 inches from the ground will prevent this from happening. You may need to prune it back 2-3 times through the winter months.
• Before the weather gets to cold you want to remove dead branches from the honeysuckle bush.  Also check for disease and remove the diseased portions from the plant.
• If you want to plant new winter honeysuckle bushes late fall is the perfect time to do this in Charlotte. The ground isn’t so hard in late fall that the bush can’t root, and you’ll have blooms in the next season with the proper care.