Honeysuckle (Lonicera) is an attractive, delicate looking perennial that graces the garden with a sweet aroma during late spring and summer. These vines are hardy and fast growing, making them the perfect choice planted next to arbors, trellises or alongside porch rails. Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to their sweet nectar and in late fall they produce fruit which draws a colorful variety of bird life to your garden. Honeysuckle spreads easily, which increases the likelihood of success when propagating this plant.
Propagating Honeysuckle by Layering
Choose a healthy branch of honeysuckle to propagate. Using a sharp knife gently nick the end of the chosen vine that is not connected to the stem, leaving the other end attached to the mother plant. Dip the wounded part of the vine into rooting hormone.
Dig a hole 6 inches deep in the ground next to the honeysuckle plant, at an angle that will easily allow the nicked end of the vine to be planted, and fill with potting soil.
Strip the leaves from the bottom 5 inches of the vine you will be planting.
Place the nicked end of the honeysuckle plant into the potting soil and tamp dirt down around it.
Water until the top 3 inches of soil is moist and cover with a 2-inch layer of mulch.
Place a large rock over the newly planted end of the vine to keep it in place until roots form. Continue to water whenever the top 3 inches of soil feel dry.
Check the plant after three months to see if new roots have formed. Once the roots have appeared, remove the start from the mother plant by clipping the vine 4 inches above the newly developed root system. You can then transplant the new honeysuckle directly into the chosen location in your garden. Continue to water throughout the first growing season whenever the soil begins to feel dry.
Propagating Honeysuckle in Water
Choose a healthy honeysuckle branch and clip off a 3 to 4 foot piece of the vine. Make sure that you make a clean cut, if necessary you can snip an additional small piece of the stem off to ensure that the end is smooth.
Remove all of the leaves on the lower 8 inches of the vine.
Place into a jar filled with water. Change the water every three days to keep the newly forming roots from rotting.
Allow the honeysuckle vine to remain in the water until several 1-inch long roots have appeared. This process usually takes one to two weeks. Once the roots have developed you can plant the vine directly into your garden, taking care not to let it become too dry during the first growing season.