No one has answered but I'll say that I have recently been interested in native honeysuckles (for my hummers) and would speculate that age got them (or perhaps some underground critter like a mole/vole/groundhog that may have tunneled under the root system). I would recommend you replace it with a new one and maybe plant a little away from the old one, just in case. There's really no way to know outside of testing your soil professionally, to determine if something in the soil infected the plant - particularly if the plant was healthy up until the winter before it died.

You might dig down a few inches and see if you find grubs. It might be Japanese Beetle.

For future reference, going by the name you used what you had was late Dutch honeysuckle (L. periclymenum 'Serotina'). There is also an early Dutch honeysuckle (L. periclymenum 'Belgica').

'Serotina' is a top-notch cultivar. Another good one, which I have growing over a small maple tree here is 'Graham Thomas'.

I wish I could help you determine what happened to your honeysuckle, but I do not have any ideas. I grow John Clayton and just this year gave him a very "harsh" prune and he is recovering and filling in quite nicely.

But I would like to ask, where did you purchase your Serotina? I have been looking on line for this particular one and have not found many who sell it. Does anyone know of a seller in the US? Most that I found were overseas and did not ship to the US.

Also, were your blooms the red/purple as described?

Thanks for any info.
Marylu

Try Brushwood nursery for purchasing Lonicera serotina Florida plant.

I have gotten a number of honeysuckles from Brushwood and they are really a great place to deal with. I also have gotten some from Forest Farm, being very satisfied with their service as well. Both are on the web, although Brushwood may be going under the term 'Garden Vines'.

I bought an Early Dutch Lonicera at Home Depot in Boise and a Late Dutch Lonicera from Joycreek Nursery in Scappoose, Oregon by phone. I bought both just recently.