My Lonicera x hellrockii 'Goldflame' leaves. I'm fighting mildew on the leaves in a sunny place and it attracts aphids.

Leaves on the mislabeled plant (from Lowes). Many of the leaves have a more rounded shape. And it has no mildew on it in a shady place. No have aphids touched it in two summers so far. It is lightly fragrant, but maybe less so than my 'Goldflame'.

Think I figured it out. Lowe's had Lonicera x Heckrottii 'Gold Flame' which looked identical to mine in leaf and flower.

If right it's the improved cultivar the internet indicates originated from 'Goldflame'.

The spelling is Lonicera x heckrottii and technically any crossing of Lonicera x italica with L. sempervirens is entitled to the name. There is at least one clonal cultivar grown simply as L. x heckrottii, with it having been suggested that it be given the name 'American Beauty' to distinguish it from any other examples of the cross there may be around - including 'Gold Flame'.

It looks like of these two your first one would be 'Gold Flame' and the second the one for which the name 'American Beauty' has been suggested. (If either actually are one of these introductions).

L. x heckrottii ('American Beauty')

Leaves bloomy beneath, upper pairs fused at the base

Flowers 1.6-2 in. long, fragrant, yellow, flushed purple, profuse, at ends of shoots, Jul-Aug (Sep)

L. x heckrottii 'Gold Flame'

Habit less evergreen, more climbing

Leaves deeper green, becoming bluish in autumn

Flower heads shorter, flowers brighter

You appear to be also showing a third kind here which looks like L. periclymenum in the last two pictures. I have seen at least one form of this species on the local market that was misidentified as L. x heckrottii 'Gold Flame'. In addition to L. x heckrottii and L. periclymenum there are as well other more or less climbing kinds of honeysuckle in cultivation that have the same basic combination of pink, red or purple flowers opening some shade of yellow.

Thanks for your post, Embolthrium. I purchase a small plant of "Gold Flame" earlier this year. Now I'm interested to see if it's actually 'Gold Flame" or "American Beauty'.

You've also added to my vocabulary. I thought "bloomy" was a typo but couldn't figure out what it was supposed to be. As an after thought, I searched for a definition and, sure enough, you meant bloomy.

Embolthrium thank you for x Heckrottii information. More to think about. I will look into 'American Beauty' information more. The mislabeled one I have is so much more well behaved than the other. More easy to keep compact and disease free. So it's worth knowing more about it.