Cape Honeysuckle: Fragrant Or Not?

Orange cape honeysuckle is a large shrub that can be grown as a climber. It is not a true honeysuckle, which are Lonicera plants, and these are often fragrant. However, orange cape honeysuckle does not have a strong smell, although some people report a garlic or gum smell when crushing the leaves.

Orange Cape Honeysuckle is a large shrub, not a true honeysuckle

The plant is fragrant, but not in the way that true honeysuckles are. One source says that they hardly notice any smell from the flowers, but that the bright colour attracts bees and butterflies. Another source says that the leaves have a garlic or gum smell when crushed.

Orange Cape Honeysuckle has no fragrance

The true honeysuckles are Lonicera's, which are fragrant but none have orange flowers. The orange Cape Honeysuckle is a large shrub that can be grown as a climber.

One person who grows the plant says they hardly notice any smell from their honeysuckle flowers. However, if they crush the leaves, they get a garlic or gum smell.

Another type of honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica 'Halliana', is a fragrant, white-flowered, hardy and invasive climber.

Orange Cape Honeysuckle attracts bees and butterflies

Orange Cape Honeysuckle, or Tecoma capensis, is a large shrub that can be grown as a climber. It has orange flowers, which are not fragrant, but the leaves have a garlic or gum smell when crushed. The bright colour of the flowers attracts bees and butterflies.

Crushing the leaves of Orange Cape Honeysuckle releases a garlic or gum smell

The true honeysuckles are Lonicera's, which are fragrant but have no orange flowers. Lonicera japonica 'Halliana' is a fragrant, white-flowered, hardy and invasive climber.

One person who grows Cape Honeysuckle says they hardly notice any smell from the flowers, but the leaves are fragrant when crushed.

The true honeysuckles are Lonicera's

Lonicera is a genus of about 180 species, over half of which are found in China and the rest distributed around Europe, North America and Northern India. Most species of Lonicera are hardy twining climbers, with a minority of shrubby habit. Some species are tender and can only be grown outside in subtropical zones. The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 1-10 cm long; most are deciduous but some are evergreen. Many of the species have sweetly scented, bilaterally symmetrical flowers that produce a sweet, edible nectar, and most flowers are borne in clusters of two.

There are many varieties of Lonicera, including:

• Lonicera sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle): Native to the United States, this honeysuckle has trumpet-shaped flowers that range from red to coral and attract hummingbirds.
• Lonicera periclymenum (European Honeysuckle or Woodbine): This deciduous climber has fragrant, creamy-white or pink flowers and is not invasive in most regions.
• Lonicera caerulea (Honeyberry or Blue-berried Honeysuckle): Native to the Northern Hemisphere, this honeysuckle is grown more for its blue, edible berries than for its small, fragrant flowers.
• Lonicera ciliosa (Orange Honeysuckle): Native to the Pacific Northwest, this honeysuckle variety has orange tubular flowers and is favoured by hummingbirds.
• Lonicera tatarica (Tartarian Honeysuckle): This shrub species is native to Eurasia and has become invasive in North America. It produces showy pink to white flowers and red berries.

While the Cape honeysuckle does not have a strong fragrance, one person reports that crushing the leaves produces a garlic or gum smell.

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