Honeywort

Honeywort: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose, branching plant with upright to somewhat sprawling stems, 40–50 cm tall and about 40 cm wide.

Leaves

Thick, oval to spoon-shaped, blue-green with a waxy bloom, often with white spots. The upper leaves clasp the stem.

Flower

Nodding, tubular flowers 2–3 cm long, in clusters at the shoot tips, from May to August.

Colour

Yellow to purple; in ‘Purpurascens’ deep purple-blue, with blue-purple bracts.

Seed

Large black seeds that are easy to collect and sow.

Flowering: May–August · Sowing: March–May and September · Plants: April–May · Pruning: July

Why grow it?

• Unusual colours: blue-green leaves with purple-blue flowers and bracts.
• A long flowering season, from May to August.
• Bumblebees and bees love the nectar-rich, nodding flowers.
• Also lovely in a vase among other summer flowers.
• Easy to grow from its large seeds; self-sows in a sheltered garden.

Honeywort: where does it grow best?

• Full sun.
• Well-drained soil: sand or loam, acid to chalky. In poor soil it stays more compact.
• Dry to moderately moist; no wet feet, especially in winter.
• A sheltered spot for autumn sowings. Plant or thin to 30–40 cm.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.5 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Tolerates light frost (to -5 °C)

Goes well with

• Pot marigold: Orange flowers as a warm contrast to the purple-blue.
• Poppy: Loose, colourful flowers in the same sunny, dry border.
• Love-in-a-mist: Blue tones and airy foliage in the same spot.
• Spurge: Blue-green leaves and yellow-green flowers that blend in well.
• Lavender: Grey foliage and the same liking for dry, sunny soil.

Honeywort: when and how to plant it?

Plant in April–May.

1. Sow in situ in September or in April–May, 1–2 cm deep: the large seed germinates readily.
2. For earlier flowers, sow indoors in March in individual pots, so you do not have to disturb the roots later.
3. Harden the young plants off and plant them out in April–May; young plants tolerate light frost.
4. Plant 30–40 cm apart, at the same depth as in the pot.
5. Water in and keep the soil moist until the plants are established.
6. Do not feed: a little compost at planting time is enough.

Care

Water

Little needed once established; water only in long dry spells.

Feeding

Not needed. Too much fertiliser gives lots of leaves and floppy stems.

Support

The stems flop easily, especially after rain. Add twigs or a low support.

Cutting back

After the first flush, in July, you can cut the plant back by a third for a second flush.

Cutting for the vase

Cut stems when the top flowers are open and dip the stem ends in hot water for a few seconds; they will last longer.

Tip: Sow a row in September in a sheltered spot: plants that survive the winter flower earlier and more freely than spring sowings. Collect a little seed every year as a reserve.

Honeywort: when to prune it?

Pruning months: July.

When: Pruning is not needed. After the first flush, in July, you can cut the plant back by a third.

How:

• Remove faded clusters if you do not want seed.
• Cut back long, sprawling stems by a third in July, just above a leaf.
• At the end of summer, let a few stems set seed for your own sowings.
• Pull up the dead plants in autumn.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Collect the large black seeds in late summer as soon as they come loose. Sow in situ in September or April, 1–2 cm deep, or indoors in March in individual pots.

Self-sowing

In a sheltered garden, seedlings come up by themselves. Move them while young to where you want them.

Honeywort: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −5 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Autumn sowings overwinter as young plants down to about −5 °C, in a sheltered, well-drained spot.
• In severe winters they are often killed: cover them with fleece in hard frost and sow again in April.
• Wet soil in winter is more dangerous than the cold.
• The plant itself dies after flowering and setting seed.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: They feed on young plants. Pick them off in the evening and protect young plants.
• Sprawling stems: Soil too rich or a windy spot. Support with twigs and do not feed.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in late summer, especially in dry weather. Cut off affected parts; it often marks the end of the season.
• Aphids: Small aphids on the shoot tips. Spray off with water.

Through the year

• March: Sow indoors in individual pots.
• April: Sow in situ or plant out. Thin autumn sowings.
• May: Plant out or sow. Flowering begins.
• June: Flowering. Support sprawling stems.
• July: Flowering. Cut back by a third if needed.
• August: Last flowers. Collect seed.
• September: Sow in situ for next year.
• October: Clear dead plants.
• December: Cover young plants in hard frost.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The name Cerinthe comes from the Greek keros (wax) and anthos (flower), after the waxy leaves.
• The name honeywort refers to the nectar-rich flowers, which are especially popular with bumblebees.
• It belongs to the same family as borage, comfrey and forget-me-not.