Coral honeysuckle as well
Another native plant I found flowering along Great Northern Blvd. on the drizzly morning of March 4th was Lonicera sempervirens, a vine known as coral honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle, and woodbine (the second part of that last name comes from the verb bind, which is what vines do).
To see the many places in the eastern half of the United States where this vine grows, you can check the USDA map (drag the slider upward to enlarge and reveal the county-level distribution). Why coral honeysuckle isn’t better known, and why people in its large native range don’t more often plant it as an embellishment in their yards and gardens, I don’t know.
NZ – 1.
© 2015 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
I have it in my garden, have had for years now. It is a very rewarding plant, no trouble and when you have to cut it back it is very forgiving and comes back quite cheerfully.
Lindylou
March 9, 2015 at 8:12 AM
It’s great to hear a testimonial from someone who has planted coral honeysuckle in her garden (though I was surprised when I learned that you’re in the Netherlands, far from the vine’s native range).
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 8:34 AM
What a wonderful color–coral is the perfect descriptor!
krikitarts
March 9, 2015 at 9:06 AM
And what a good word descriptor is.
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 9:32 AM
I think I figured out what you’re up to — that’s a countdown to New Zealand photos in the bottom left, yes?
The photo certainly does the plant justice. When I first began searching out wildflowers, I think I often confused this with trumpet vine, just because of the color, and the fact that it also climbs so well. I first saw this at the Armand Bayou nature center, lining the waterways. It was thick, and beautiful beyond words.
shoreacres
March 9, 2015 at 9:08 AM
Yay for you: I didn’t know if anyone would catch on to my Antipodes countdown, and if anyone else has, you’re the first to say so. Yes, tomorrow’s the big day to begin a diversion like the one from my fall trip to the Southwest.
I can see where you’d confuse this with trumpet vine (I often confuse crossvine with trumpet vine). I’ve never seen coral honeysuckle as lush as you describe it at Armand Bayou (which I’ve visited just once), but I’d like to. The specimens I know growing wild in Austin appear more as individuals than as part of a colorful colony. I’m afraid the one in today’s picture, and the others along the same stretch of road, will get destroyed by the sound-deflecting wall that’s to be added as part of the Mopac construction currently underway. We’ll see if the honeysuckle is hardy enough to survive or rebound.
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 9:42 AM
I have been delighted this year because my coral honeysuckle usually struggles a bit. But it has been in full bloom here in Central Texas for at least since mid-February this year. It’s wonderful.
Billye Adams
March 9, 2015 at 9:20 AM
Good to hear a second testimonial about coral honeysuckle. I’ve come to look for it in certain places in Austin in February too, but this year I was out of the country in February. I was glad to find some still flowering last week. It’s wonderful indeed.
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 9:45 AM
Beautiful colour. I had only seen the cream coloured honeysuckles here in New Zealand.
Raewyn's Photos
March 9, 2015 at 1:20 PM
I’m afraid your cream-colored species is probably the Japanese honeysuckle that has spread over large parts of the world, including the United States. Its flowers are wonderfully fragrant but the vine is highly invasive, alas.
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 1:34 PM
I think it has been declared a pest and must be eradicated.
Raewyn's Photos
March 9, 2015 at 1:51 PM
Right you are:
http://www.doc.govt.nz/conservation/threats-and-impacts/weeds/common-weeds-in-new-zealand/japanese-honeysuckle/
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 2:14 PM
That was quick. Jasmine is also declared a national pest too.
Raewyn's Photos
March 9, 2015 at 2:14 PM
And many others, unfortunately:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasive_species_in_New_Zealand
I noticed in that document that “The city of Auckland has been declared to be the weediest city in the world.”
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 2:19 PM
Yes. I remember we had a huge banana passionfruit vine around our pool area. It just spread and spread (I grew up in Auckland). The fruit was great but it was very hard to control. Our temperate climate means that once these plants spread the only way to control them is to rip them out. But many people don’t know this and still plant these pests and then wonder why it gets out into the native bush.
Raewyn's Photos
March 9, 2015 at 2:23 PM
Gorgeous! Our flowers are just sort of scratching their heads wondering if it’s finally time to start putting out a shoot or two.
montucky
March 9, 2015 at 8:26 PM
We’re more advanced in that respect than you, but not as much as we typically would be by this time in March. All things in due time in both places.
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2015 at 9:58 PM
Coral is such a lovely shade. These remind just a bit of trumpet vine-Campsis radicans.
Steve Gingold
March 10, 2015 at 2:34 AM
Shoreacres had the same reaction you did, and I can see why.
Steve Schwartzman
March 10, 2015 at 6:28 AM