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Shrubs

Lonicera hispida

hairy honeysuckle

A small, deciduous shrub about 1m or slightly more in height, with bristly, rounded, dark green leaves and pale yellowish-white, tubular flowers 2cm long, produced in pairs at the base of the new growth in late spring, each flower emerging from rounded, bristly-margined pale-green bracts to 2.5cm long, followed by red berries

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Potentially harmful: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Lonicera can be deciduous and evergreen shrubs, or climbers with twining stems. The tubular or two-lipped flowers, often very fragrant, are followed by red or black berries
Name status: Correct
Plant range: E & C Asia

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow shrubby honeysuckle in any well drained soil in full sun or partial shade. See honeysuckle (shrubby) cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by layering, softwood cuttings, semi-ripe cuttings, leaf-bud cuttings and hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 2

Pests

May be susceptible to honeysuckle aphids, Thrips and glasshouse whitefly

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, fungal leaf spot, silver leaf and honey fungus (rarely)

Get involved

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