Tecoma capensis

RHS Plant Profile

Cape honeysuckle

Mike L. Grant 1998

Other common names

West Indian honeysuckle

Synonyms

Tecomaria capensis

Shrubs Climber Wall Shrub Conservatory Greenhouse

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An evergreen shrub with self-clinging scrambling stems to 3m or more, with dark green, pinnate leaflets and clusters of bright orange-red flowers with slender curved tubes to 5cm in length, in late summer

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

2.5-4 metres

Max Spread

1.5-2.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 1.5-2.5 metres
Max Height: 2.5-4 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: South–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H1C

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Bignoniaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Climbing
Genus: Tecoma can be evergreen shrubs, trees or climbers, with pinnately divided leaves and terminal racemes of funnel or trumpet-shaped flowers
Name Status: Correct
Plant Range: S Africa, Swaziland

How to Grow

Cultivation

Worth trying in mild gardens if you have a sunny, sheltered wall and a fertile, well-drained soil. Otherwise, grow in a container and overwinter indoors

Propagation

Propagate by seed, layering or semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Patio and container plants
Wall side borders

Pruning

Pruning group 8 in early spring, plants grown under glass may need overcrowded stems thinning out

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus in gardens where it is present but insufficient data to determine degree of susceptibility