Winter honeysuckle

Winter honeysuckle: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Broad, loose shrub about 2 m tall and 2.5 m wide, with long, arching stems.

Leaves

Oval, 3–7 cm long, slightly leathery and dull green, in opposite pairs. Semi-evergreen: some stay on the stems in mild winters.

Flowers

Small, creamy-white flowers of 1–1.5 cm, always in pairs, with prominent yellow stamens, from January to March.

Scent

Strong, sweet and lemony, best noticed on a mild, still day.

Fruit

A few red berries in late spring, joined in pairs at the base; they are not very noticeable.

Flowering: January–March · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: April

Why grow it?

• Flowers in the depths of winter, from January to March, when almost nothing else is in bloom.
• One of the most fragrant winter shrubs: on mild days the lemony scent fills the whole front garden.
• Early nectar and pollen for bumblebees and honeybees flying on mild winter days.
• A few sprigs in a vase are surprisingly fragrant in a warm room.
• Easy and tough: grows in sun or partial shade, on sand, loam and clay.

Winter honeysuckle: where does it grow best?

• Sun to partial shade. It flowers most freely in sun.
• Any ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Moderately moist, well-drained soil; no waterlogging.
• Plant it where you often pass in winter: by the front door, along a path or under a window, ideally sheltered so the scent lingers.
• Allow 2–2.5 m; in an informal hedge, plant 1–1.5 m apart.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

2 m tall, 2.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Witch hazel: Another winter bloomer, with yellow or orange flowers beside the small white ones.
• Snowdrop: A white carpet under the shrub in February.
• Lenten rose: Flowers at the same time and tolerates the partial shade under the stems.
• Winter aconite: Small yellow flowers at the base, early in the year.
• Red-barked dogwood: Red stems that stand out nicely against the flowers in winter.

Winter honeysuckle: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or October–November, when the soil is neither frozen nor waterlogged.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and loosen the bottom.
3. Mix a few spadefuls of compost into the soil you dug out.
4. Set the shrub at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
5. Water in thoroughly straight away.
6. Spread a mulch of compost or wood chips around the base.

Care

Water

Regularly in dry spells during the first year. After that, only in long dry periods.

Feeding

In April, after pruning, a spadeful of compost or some organic fertiliser. Nothing more is needed.

Mulching

A layer of compost or leaf mould in spring keeps the soil moist and weed-free.

Spent flowers

No need to remove them: they drop by themselves.

Space

Give it enough room to grow; constant trimming costs flowers.

Tip: Plant it by the front door or along a path you often use in winter. Prune only after flowering, in April, by taking out a few old stems at the base.

Winter honeysuckle: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April.

When: In April, straight after flowering. It flowers on the previous year’s wood.

How:

• Every year or every other year, remove a quarter to a third of the oldest stems right at the base.
• Cut out dead and crossing stems and shorten over-long stems to a side branch.
• An old, neglected shrub can be cut back to 30–50 cm in April; it will hardly flower the following winter.

Caution: Do not prune in summer or autumn: you would remove the stems that are due to flower in winter.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August: cuttings of 10–15 cm, lower leaves removed, in moist cutting compost under plastic. They root easily.

Hardwood cuttings

In November–December: 20 cm lengths of ripe stems, pushed two thirds into the soil in a sheltered spot. Transplant after a year.

Layering

In spring, peg a low stem into the soil; sever it a year later.

Winter honeysuckle: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Fully hardy to about −25 °C: no protection needed.
• In hard frost, open flowers may turn brown; buds that are still closed open normally afterwards.
• In mild winters some leaves stay on, in harsh winters they drop. Both are normal.

Diseases and pests

• Aphids: On young shoots in spring. Ladybirds and birds usually deal with them; otherwise hose them off with water.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in summer, especially in drought. Water, keep the shrub open and cut off affected shoots.
• Few flowers: Usually caused by pruning in summer or autumn, or by too much shade. From now on, prune only after flowering.
• Bare and tangled: An old shrub becomes bare at the base. Remove a few old stems at ground level each year so young shoots can come through.

Through the year

• January: Flowering: fragrant flowers on bare stems. Cut sprigs for the vase.
• February: Full flower. Bumblebees visit on mild days.
• March: Last flowers. Plant.
• April: Prune after flowering: remove old stems at the base. Add compost. Plant.
• May: New leaves. Watch for aphids.
• June: A few red berries. Water in dry spells.
• July: Take semi-ripe cuttings. Water in dry spells.
• October: Plant.
• November: Plant. Take hardwood cuttings.
• December: The flower buds swell; leave the shrub alone.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• The Scottish plant hunter Robert Fortune brought winter honeysuckle from China to Europe in 1845.
• Lonicera × purpusii is a hybrid of winter honeysuckle and Lonicera standishii, and is just as fragrant in winter.
• As in all honeysuckles, the flowers come in pairs; the berries also grow in pairs, joined at the base.