Honeysuckle, Lonicera

Honeysuckle can be used in three different ways in the garden: as a colourful climber, as a richly scented climber and as a stocky, shrubby plant.

Recommended varieties

Summer-scented climbing honeysuckle plants are a big attraction. Like all climbing honeysuckles, they're vigorous - reaching 6m to 9m (20ft to 30ft) in height - and thornless, so they're easy to train on trellis and walls. Alternatively, leave them to sprawl into floppy shrubby shapes.

L. japonica : the Japanese honeysuckle is a variable species with some outstanding forms, such as 'Halliana'. The flowers are pale cream, turning darker yellow just before they fade, and appear from mid-June to late November. Generally evergreen, unless there's a particularly cold winter. The wild form, var. repens , has bronze foliage and darker flowers. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has given 'Halliana' its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
L. japonica 'Hall's Prolific': pink-flowering cultivar that's usually evergreen. If you want a Japanese honeysuckle with attractive leaves, choose 'Horwood Gem' (the young foliage is stippled with cream) or 'Aureoreticulata' (with gold veining).
L. periclymenum 'Belgica' : the early-flowering Dutch woodbine starts in April and by late May is smothered in flowers that are red on the outside and pale primrose within, fading to ochre yellow. The mild daytime scent doubles in strength in the evening to attract hawk moths.
L. periclymenum 'Serotina': the late Dutch honeysuckle starts flowering in mid-June, producing creamy white blooms with reddish streaks. If the roots are in the shade and it survives aphid attacks, it will continue until the first frost. 'Munster' has paler-than-average leaves and soft pink flowers with pale cream throats. 'Graham Thomas' is primrose-yellow. The RHS has given 'Serotina' and 'Graham Thomas' its AGM.

If fragrance isn't crucial, try a climbing honeysuckle with vivid blooms:

L . x tellmanniana : large, striking flowers appear from late spring to mid-summer and are orange with red streaks on the outside. The oval, pale green foliage is quite large for a honeysuckle, reaching 5m (15ft).
L. x brownii 'Dropmore Scarlet': terrific summer show of long, scarlet flowers. Grows to 4m (12ft).

Shrubbier forms of honeysuckle also have plenty of plus points:

L. fragrantissima : one of the best winter-flowering shrubs, producing pairs of fragrant blooms with a scent that will fill a warm room.
L. nitida 'Baggesen's Gold' : gold-leaved hedging plant with tiny, box-like foliage and wiry stems that can be snipped into topiary.

Growing tips

Site and soil preferences

Most honeysuckles tolerate a wide range of conditions, making them easy to cultivate. The soil should be rich and leafy with plenty of added moisture-retaining organic matter.

Japanese honeysuckle is probably the most versatile, coping with hot, dry soil, although it always performs better with its roots in cool shade.

Planting associations

A good mix for cottage gardens is Rosa 'Albertine' with L. periclymenum 'Serotina'.

Climbing honeysuckles also make fine companions with clematis, early-flowering chaenomeles and sprawling low-growing plants.

Pruning

Watch Joe Swift's guide to pruning honeysuckle:

Play video clip

Early varieties flower on last year's growth and need pruning immediately after flowering.

Cutting back hard helps restrict their spread but you can also leave them to scale a tree or high wall.

Propagation

Most honeysuckles are easy to grow from cuttings, which are best taken when the plants are in full growth in July.

Use gentle bottom heat to stimulate rooting, but move young plants to a cool spot as soon as they have a root system.

Most honeysuckles propagate themselves by a process called layering (their stems spread across and root in the soil), developing a sprawling complex of shrubs and suckers if left unchecked.

Problem solver

Aphids are a major problem, attacking plants whose roots become too dry. These pests transmit a virus that will weaken and eventually kill honeysuckle.

To control them, use a spray or grow the plants so the roots are in shade and the head in the sun.

Where to see them

National Collections of honeysuckle:

Dr TM Upson
Cambridge University Botanic Garden
Cory Lodge, Bateman Street
Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB2 1JF
Tel: 01223 336265
Website: (External) www.botanic.cam.ac.uk