Why you need a shrubby honeysuckle in your garden
If you’re looking for a plant that works hard, looks good, and asks for very little in return, shrubby honeysuckles are unsung heroes of the winter garden. Here’s why they deserve a spot in yours.
1. They light up one of the coldest, darkest times of year
Many shrubby honeysuckles flower in winter when almost nothing else is blooming – imagine stepping outside on a frosty morning and catching a whiff of sweet fragrance from creamy white blossoms. This also means they are the perfect one-stop-shop for any early pollinators that emerge, hungry, on a particularly mild winter’s day.
2. They smell wonderful
That classic honeysuckle scent isn’t just for climbers. Shrubby types bring fragrance to your garden when you need it most – in the middle of winter, when everything else feels a bit bleak.3. Wildlife loves them
For each month of 2026, as part of our Bringing Nature Home theme, we’ve selected a star plant and a handful of supporting plants that are fabulous for wildlife in that month. Shrubby honeysuckles are our Wildlife Wonders Plant of the Month for January. Pollinators flock to their flowers, and many types produce berries that birds adore. So, by planting one, you’re creating a mini wildlife haven.4. They’re tough, adaptable and low maintenance
Full sun? Partial shade? Most soils? Shrubby Lonicera are not fussy. Just avoid
Which winter-flowering honeysuckles to grow
Botanist James Armitage, RHS Specialist Publications Editor, says: “Winter-flowering honeysuckles are subtle, unobtrusive and exceptionally valuable garden shrubs. They are medium or large shrubs to around 2.5m tall, usually keeping some of their leaves through the year. As with many other winter bloomers, the flowers are pale and of modest size, but make their presence felt by the strength of their fragrance.”From the more compact Lonicera fragrantissima to the pink-tinged Lonicera standishii ‘Budapest’, there’s a shrubby honeysuckle for everyone. These are some of the winter-flowering honeysuckles we recommend.
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Lonicera fragrantissima
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Lonicera × purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’
“Lonicera fragrantissima has small flowers (about 1cm long), which are tubular, creamy white and though often sparsely spaced along the stem, are deliciously fragrant,” says James. “Growing the plant close to a wall can encourage flowering and later the production of red fruit.” Lonicera fragrantissima
Lonicera × purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’
Leigh Hunt, RHS Principal Horticultural Advisor, adds: “At 1.5-2m tall and wide, Lonicera fragrantissma is a little smaller than the other winter-flowering honeysuckles, making it an appealing choice for smaller gardens.” Buy it here >
Lonicera standishii f. lancifolia ‘Budapest’
“Closely related L. standishii differs in its bristly stems and leaves and its slightly larger flowers, which are often tinged pale pink,” says James. “It flowers throughout winter and is similarly fragrant. There is a variant with long, narrow leaves named L. standishii var. lancifolia. A fine selection of this plant is ‘Budapest’, which has reddish new growth and most attractive pink-flushed flowers.”
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Lonicera standishi
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Lonicera standishii f. lancifolia ‘Budapest’
“The most common winter-flowering honeysuckle, Lonicera × purpusii, can be relied on to perform well in a range of sites and soils,” says James. “‘Winter Beauty’ is broader than it is tall, eventually spreading to 2.5m. It has reddish shoots and is highly floriferous from an early age, often continuing to bloom into spring. The fragrance is sweet with a refreshing citrus tone that prevents it becoming sickly. Cut stems brought inside will make the air rich with their perfume.” Buy it here >
Lonicera standishi
Lonicera standishii f. lancifolia ‘Budapest’
Lonicera setifera
“There are a couple of other species worth seeking out if you are a devotee of the rare and choice,” he says. “Lonicera setifera is a lovely, upright shrub with rather thick, narrow leaves and is bristly all over, even on the flowers. These are held in pairs and, though only a little over 1cm long, have great charm. The white petals flare out like Christmas bells from a short pink tube, each cuddled close to its neighbour by reddish, cup-shaped calyces. Its fragrance is light but pleasing, and red fruit may follow. This species tends to be fully
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Lonicera setifera is distinctively bristly, with pink-tinged blooms
“Also worth seeking out, Lonicera elisae was introduced in the 1980s by Roy Lancaster and bears purple-flushed shoots and pale yellow flowers tinged pink on the outside,” says James.Lonicera setifera is distinctively bristly, with pink-tinged blooms
Roy himself says: “In February–March, or earlier in mild winters, leafless branches sprout short, hairy shoots carrying pairs of slender, nodding, funnel-shaped flowers 2cm long. These vary from pale primrose-yellow to cream, sometimes with a hint of pink or peach on the five spreading lobes. The stamens and style peep from the open mouth and, for those with a sharp sense of smell, there can be a delicate scent. The flowers have a singular, rather elegant charm, especially when seen at close quarters.”
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Lonicera elisae has purple-flushed shoots and pale yellow flowers tinged pink on the outside
Lonicera elisae has purple-flushed shoots and pale yellow flowers tinged pink on the outside
Our Wildlife Wonders supporting plants for January are mahonia, Helleborus niger and crocus, so don’t forget to sneak some of those into the garden too. Try Mahonia eurybracteata – a relatively compact species with elegant slender leaves – for a shady spot, and Crocus tommasinianus for early flowers in a lawn, border or pots. You can bring some on in pots in a greenhouse or in the house to flower earlier still; then when moved outside they will provide forage for any hungry bumblebees that may emerge on a mild winter’s day.
“Winter-flowering honeysuckles give greatest benefit planted by doors or gates where their fragrance can be freely enjoyed,” says James. “Although fully hardy, they often flower better given shelter from a nearby wall, and this will also concentrate their perfume.
Left to right: Lonicera standishii var. lancifolia ‘Budapest’, L. standishii, L. fragrantissima, L. setifera ‘Daphnis’, L. × purpusii and L. × purpusii ‘Winter Beauty’
“After the flowers fall, you can ensure your winter-flowering honeysuckles continue to provide interest through the
