Tatarian honeysuckle

Tatarian honeysuckle: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Upright, spreading shrub of about 3 m high and wide, with a loose but dense crown.

Leaves

Oval, 3–6 cm, blue-green and hairless; comes into leaf early in spring.

Flowers

Paired on long stalks, pink or white, in May–June; lightly scented.

Fruit

Glossy red (sometimes orange) berries in July–August; they are mildly poisonous.

Roots

Fibrous and dense; the shrub anchors well and binds the soil.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and October–November · Pruning: June

Why grow it?

• Extremely hardy and robust: grows without fuss in most garden spots.
• Rich flowering in May–June in pink or white, good for bees and bumblebees.
• Red berries in summer attract birds.
• Fits in a mixed hedge, as a free-standing shrub or as a windbreak.
• Tolerates sun and half shade, drought and ordinary, even rather poor soil.

Tatarian honeysuckle: where does it grow best?

• Sun to half shade; in sun it flowers most richly.
• Ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky, well-drained.
• Normal to rather dry soil; it tolerates drought and dislikes waterlogged ground.
• Allow 2–3 m between shrubs; for a hedge, 1–1.5 m.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

3 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -40 °C)

Goes well with

• Weigela: A flowering shrub in the same season, in red or pink.
• Spiraea: White and pink, flowers in late spring and summer, good in a mixed hedge.
• Lilac: Scented flowers in May, when the honeysuckle starts.
• Hydrangea: Takes over the flowering in summer.
• Elder: A bird-friendly shrub next to the honeysuckle.

Tatarian honeysuckle: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and October–November.

1. Plant in March–April or in October–November, when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the rootball and loosen the bottom.
3. Set the shrub at the same depth as in its pot and backfill with the garden soil, with a little compost if you like.
4. Allow 2–3 m for a free-standing shrub and 1–1.5 m for a hedge.
5. Water in generously straight away, even if it rains, and spread a mulch around the base.

Care

Water

In the first year water generously once a week in dry weather. Afterwards it usually looks after itself.

Feeding

A spade of compost or a handful of organic fertiliser in spring is enough.

Mulching

A layer of compost or bark in spring keeps the soil moist and suppresses weeds.

Thinning

Every two or three years remove the oldest branches so the shrub stays open and floriferous.

Seedlings

Birds spread the seeds; pull up young seedlings under and next to the shrub.

Tip: Prune straight after flowering, not in winter: you lose no flowers and the shrub stays compact and full. Pull up young seedlings before they grow large.

Tatarian honeysuckle: when to prune it?

Pruning months: June.

When: Straight after flowering, in June. It flowers on last year’s and older wood, so pruning too early costs you flowers.

How:

• Every year or every two years remove a third of the oldest branches right at the base.
• Remove dead, weak and crossing branches and shape the rest.
• Leave the strong new shoots of this year: it will flower on them next spring.
• To renew an old shrub, cut a few old branches back to 30–50 cm above the ground in late spring or summer.

Caution: Do not prune in winter or early spring, or you lose that year’s flower buds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Softwood cuttings

In June–July take 10–15 cm cuttings of non-flowering shoots, remove the lower leaves, and insert in moist compost under plastic. Roots form in a few weeks.

Hardwood cuttings

From November to February push 20 cm cuttings of firm wood into loose soil outdoors; they root by the following autumn.

Seed

Sow the cleaned seed outdoors in autumn; it needs a cold period and germinates in spring.

Tatarian honeysuckle: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −40 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −40 °C: no protection needed, even in the coldest Belgian winters.
• The leaves drop in autumn; the bare branches can stay until pruning after flowering.
• In a pot: move it against a sheltered wall in hard frost, so the roots do not freeze completely.

Diseases and pests

• Aphids: Curled, distorted tips and sticky leaves in May–June. Cut off affected tips, rinse with water and let the ladybirds do their work.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves, especially in late summer in dry weather. Water at the base, leave enough space and do not plant too close.
• Leaf spot and early leaf fall: In wet summers brown spots appear and the leaves drop early. Clear fallen leaves and allow airy growth.
• Self-seeding: Birds eat the berries and spread the seeds; seedlings can appear anywhere in the garden. Pull them up young.

Through the year

• March: Plant. Apply mulch.
• April: Plant. Apply compost or organic fertiliser.
• May: Flowering begins. Bees and bumblebees visit the flowers.
• June: Flowers and aphids. Prune after flowering.
• July: Red berries appear. Take softwood cuttings.
• August: Berries for the birds. Water in long droughts.
• September: Pull up self-sown seedlings.
• October: Plant.
• November: Plant. Take hardwood cuttings.

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?

• The genus name Lonicera honours the 16th-century German botanist Adam Lonitzer (Lonicerus).
• This honeysuckle is one of the hardiest shrubs used in gardens, down to about −40 °C.
• In parts of North America the species has become naturalised and is considered invasive, because birds spread the seeds.