Winter Honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, 50 Shrub Seeds, (Fast Fragrant Hardy) Ready

Winter Honeysuckle is a shrub, not a vine, but it has those familiar honeysuckle flowers and that sweet honeysuckle scent. Winter Honeysuckle grows 6 to 10 feet tall and its irregular, tangled branches form a twisted labyrinth as much as 6 to 10 feet across. The leaves are nearly evergreen in the South but deciduous in cooler climates. The leaves are borne in opposing pairs along the slender, arching stems. Flowering begins in late winter and lasts for several weeks, filling the air with fragrance when nothing else is blooming. The flowers are extremely abundant, creamy white, about a half inch long and arranged in pairs in the leaf axils. The flowers are followed by small red berries that are attractive to birds.



Zone: 4 to 9

Growth Rate: Fast

Plant Type: Wide spreading, deciduous shrub (evergreen in the south)

Family: Caprifoliaceae

Native Range: Eastern China
Height: Up to 10 feet
Spread: Up to 10 feet
Shape: Irregular, rounded form

Bloom Time: Late winter-very early spring

Flower/Fruit: Fragrant, lemon-scented, creamy white flowers followed by small red berries.

Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade

Fall Color: None

Drought Tolerance: Moderate-High

Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low

Site Requirements /Soil Tolerances: Prefers loamy, well-drained, moist soil but will tolerate most soils.

Culture: Keep Winter Honeysuckle in bounds by pruning back once or twice a year. You can even cut it to the ground and it will send up new shoots.

Uses: Barrier, screen or hedge, massing or grouping for fragrance of flowers.