Clearing Woods - Shrubs - Part 3 - Honeysuckle


mature twigs. It's solid at the nodes.

There is a cultivar, 'Rem Red', but Dirr says it's hard to tell the difference from the species. The variety podocarpa is said to have better flowers than the species and a wider spread.

Other Bush Honeysuckles

  • Lonicera morrowii, Morrow's honeysuckle, native to Japan was introduced into North America in 1875. It's also now common in southeastern and south-central Canada as well as most northeastern and mid-Atlantic states as well as some Midwestern states. In the wild, it's usually found on acidic soils. It's naturalized in about the same types of places as L.maackii, with the same wide tolerance of soil and situation, as well as low nutrients.
  • Lonicera tatarica , tatarian honeysuckle, native to western and central Russia, was introduced into the US in 1752. It's common in southeastern and south-central Canada and most northeastern and mid-Atlantic states as well as some Midwestern and western states.

    In its native Eurasia, it's found in dry, relatively cool semi-desert areas.

  • Lonicera x bella, Bell's honeysuckle, is a cross between L. tatarica and L. morrowii, widely naturalized from Alberta, Canada to Main and south to northern North Carolina, as well as west into Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas.

    There seems to be considerable confusion between this hybrid and its parents, who are dissimilar plants. The hybrid has leaves that are slightly hairy on the underside. The flowers are pink, fading to yellow and the fruits are red or rarely yellow.

These are all attractive shrubs that are very easy to grow. They make good windbreaks and bank covers. Although I enjoy the one I have allowed into the garden, I would not recommend actually paying money for any of these bush honeysuckles as there are so many more really worthy and not spreading shrubs that could be grown...particularly if you have a small garden, where every plant has to be significant.

Next time the thorny question of brambles. See ya' later!

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Title image and all photos and scans are by Marge.

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