Boxleaf Honeysuckle
Lonicera nitida
Family: Caprifoliaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Mid spring. Form: Spreading or horizontal, Upright or erect.
Lonicera nitida is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft) by 3 m (9ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 3
Where it is found
In scrub and along streams, 1300 - 2100 metres in Yunnan and W. Sichuan.
E. Asia - China.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 3
Can be grown as a medium sized hedge. It is very fast growing but needs lots of trimming. It is quite frequently used as a hedge plant in Britain. The forms 'Graziosa' and 'Maigrün (Maygreen) can be used as ground cover plants.
Hedge: Plants that can be grown as hedges.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
Hedge: Hedge
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Foundation, Hedge. A very easily grown and tolerant plant, it succeeds in any fertile soil, preferring a good moist soil in a sunny position. Succeeds in deep shade. Established plants are fairly drought tolerant, so long as there is plenty of humus in the soil. Plants are hardy to about -15°c. Another report says that it is not very hardy in northern Britain and that it rarely fruits in Britain. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of deer. A number of forms have been developed for their ornamental value. Plants are very tolerant of pruning and can regrow from very old wood. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Special Features:Not North American native.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 2 months cold stratification and should be sown as soon as possible in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with or without a heel, July/August in a frame. Good percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 20cm with or without a heel, November in a cold frame. Good percentage. Layering in autumn.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; not Deep Shade; Ground Cover; Hedge;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Full shade, semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist