Flower profile

Coral honeysuckle

Lonicera sempervirens

Native in the lower 48

Coral honeysuckle is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 3 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.

32states

3of our state lists

15,658U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina

Quick look

Lonicera sempervirens is a flowering plant species of honeysuckle vine native to the eastern United States which is known for its reddish flowers.
From Wikipedia's article Lonicera sempervirens, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a vine with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 32 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to North Carolina, South Carolina and Oklahoma. ^NatureServe
In North Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. ^iNaturalist
In South Carolina, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late summer. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 16 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 2,232 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #75 among the 111 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 658 research-grade sightings of it in South Carolina, ranking #43 among the 111 flowers on our South Carolina list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 469 research-grade sightings of it in Oklahoma, ranking #74 among the 110 flowers on our Oklahoma list. ^iNaturalist

Coral honeysuckle gift ideas

Handmade coral honeysuckle gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Coral honeysuckle art print
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Coral honeysuckle mug
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Coral honeysuckle earrings
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Coral honeysuckle embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,219 records)

Bloom time in each of our 3 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
North Carolina	Native	March–June	2,232
South Carolina	Native	March–April	658
Oklahoma	Native	April–May	469

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
South Carolina: No list South Carolina has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's South Carolina ranks instead. NatureServe: S5, secure in South Carolina.
Oklahoma: No list Oklahoma has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Oklahoma ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oklahoma.
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: VT (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records coral honeysuckle in 32 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia; District of Columbia.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Burke, Cabarrus, Carteret, Caswell, Catawba, Chatham, Chowan, Cleveland, Columbus, Cumberland, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Henderson, Hertford, Hyde, Iredell, Johnston, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Martin, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rowan, Rutherford, Sampson, Stanly, Stokes, Tyrrell, Union, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson.

South Carolina counties with USDA records: Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Fairfield, Florence, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Jasper, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg, York.

Oklahoma counties with USDA records: Payne.

More North Carolina flowers

Amur honeysuckle

Lonicera maackii

Introduced

🌼 Blooms: March–August

Japanese honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in NC: April–October

Crane-fly orchid

Tipularia discolor

Native

🌼 Blooms in NC: July–August

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile LOSE.
iNaturalist, Lonicera sempervirens: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Lonicera sempervirens (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
South Carolina: South Carolina State Plant Pest List, plants (S.C. Code Regs. 27-135; Clemson Dept. of Plant Industry).
Oklahoma: Oklahoma Noxious Weed Law (2 O.S. § 3-220).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Lonicera sempervirens (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Michael J. Papay via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.