Henry’s honeysuckle

Henry’s honeysuckle: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Twining climber that winds around wires, battens and branches, up to 6 m tall and 3 m wide.

Leaves

Long and narrow (4–10 cm), dark green and slightly glossy, in opposite pairs on hairy stems. Some drop in hard winters.

Flowers

Small, tubular flowers in pairs at the shoot tips, purplish red and yellow, in June–July. They are barely scented.

Fruit

Glossy blue-black berries in late summer and autumn. Mildly poisonous to people, but birds love them.

Roots

Like to be cool and moist; a shaded base is ideal.

Flowering: June–July · Plants: March–May and September–October · Pruning: March and August

Why grow it?

• Green all year: a fast, dense screen on a fence, trellis or pergola.
• Grows in shade too, where few other climbers become as dense.
• Bees and bumblebees visit the flowers; birds eat the berries and nest in the dense foliage.
• Tough and forgiving: after a hard prune it soon grows back.
• Easy to propagate by layering.

Henry’s honeysuckle: where does it grow best?

• Sun, partial shade or shade: one of the few evergreen climbers that does well on a north-facing wall.
• Humus-rich soil that does not dry out: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Evenly moist; little rain reaches the foot of a wall, so keep an eye on watering there.
• It always needs support: a trellis, taut wires, a fence or a pergola.
• Allow 2–3 m width per plant; for a quick green screen, plant every 1.5 m.

Light

Sun, partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

6 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -20 °C)

Goes well with

• Clematis: Climbs through the green screen and adds big flowers.
• Climbing rose: Flowers and scent against the dark green backdrop.
• Ferns: Keep the base cool and grow in shade too.
• Hydrangea: A flowering shrub for a shady wall.
• Hosta: Large leaves at the base, in the same partial shade.

Henry’s honeysuckle: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May and September–October.

1. Plant in March–May or September–October, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet.
2. Fix the support first: horizontal wires every 30 cm or a trellis, a few centimetres from the wall.
3. Dig a hole twice as wide as the rootball, 30–40 cm from the wall or fence, and mix in some compost.
4. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot, leaning towards the support, and guide the shoots to the wires with a cane or string.
5. Firm in and water thoroughly straight away.
6. Mulch the base with compost or wood chips to keep the roots cool.

Care

Watering

Weekly in dry weather in the first year. After that in dry spells, especially against a wall.

Feeding

In March or April, a layer of compost or a little organic fertiliser around the base.

Mulching

A layer of compost or leaf mould in spring keeps the base cool and moist.

Training

In spring and summer, wind young shoots around the support and spread them out widely for an even screen.

Berries

Leave the berries for the birds, but remove them where small children play.

Tip: Put up strong wires or a trellis before planting and spread the young shoots out widely: you get an evenly dense screen instead of a tangle at the top.

Henry’s honeysuckle: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March and August.

When: Trim it into shape after flowering, in August. A hard renovation prune is done in March, before growth really gets going.

How:

• After flowering, cut back shoots that are too long or stick out to restore the shape you want.
• Remove dead, weak and tangled stems to let in light and air.
• Too dense, too heavy or bare at the base? Cut it back hard in March to 50–100 cm above the ground; it soon regrows.
• Clear it out of gutters and off roof tiles every year.

Caution: A hard prune in March costs a year of flowers but gives a much younger, denser plant. In the nesting season, check for nests first.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Layering

The easiest way: in spring, peg a long, flexible shoot into the soil and cover it with earth. Sever it after a year and replant it.

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August: 10–15 cm cuttings with two or three pairs of leaves, lower leaves removed, in moist cutting compost under plastic. They usually root within a few weeks.

Henry’s honeysuckle: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −20 °C.

• Hardy to about −20 °C: no protection needed in Belgium.
• In cold winters it loses some of its leaves; it regrows in spring.
• Mulch the base of young plants in autumn for extra protection.
• In a large container: stand it against a wall and wrap the container in hessian.

Diseases and pests

• Aphids: On young shoot tips in spring. Blast them off with a strong jet of water; ladybirds help too.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves, especially in a dry spot against a wall. Water enough and mulch the base.
• Bare base: After a few years all the growth is at the top and the base goes bare. A renovation prune in March solves it.
• Leaf drop in winter: After a hard winter some leaves fall. That is normal: wait until May before cutting out dead stems.

Through the year

• March: Renovation prune if needed. Compost around the base. Planting.
• April: Planting. Guide new shoots around the support. Watch for aphids.
• May: Planting. Keep guiding and spreading the shoots.
• June: In flower. Water in dry weather.
• July: In flower. Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• August: Trim into shape after flowering. Cuttings can still be taken.
• September: Planting. The berries turn black, a treat for the birds.
• October: Planting. Mulch the base of young plants.
• December: Resting. A green screen, even in winter.

Edible and useful

Not edible. The glossy red or black berries of these honeysuckles are mildly poisonous: eating more than a few can cause stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea, and dogs and cats fall ill from them too. They hang from summer into autumn, often at a child’s height on a climber along a fence or on a shrub. Do not confuse them with the honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea), the honeysuckle grown for its edible berries: those are elongated and blue with a waxy bloom, and ripen in May and June; the berries of these honeysuckles are red or black and are not for eating. Teach children that the berries are for the birds, and pick them off where toddlers play. Birds, however, eat them without harm. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• It is named after Augustine Henry, an Irish doctor and plant collector who worked in China in the late 19th century and sent thousands of dried plant specimens to Kew Gardens near London.
• The genus name Lonicera honours the German botanist Adam Lonitzer, who wrote a well-known herbal in the 16th century.
• Wild honeysuckle is most fragrant in the evening, to attract moths; the flowers of this species have hardly any scent.