Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica 'Wojtek' (F)

Synonyms

Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica Blue Bell

Shrubs Fruit Edible

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A small, winter-flowering, deciduous shrub about 1.5m tall, with grey-green leaves and pairs of yellowish-white flowers to 1.5cm long, produced in the leaf axils from early to late winter. Highly productive crops of fruit, with large, edible, oval, dark blue, bloomy berries about 4cm long have both sweet and tart flesh, ripening over a long period from late spring to summer

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 0.5-1 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Well–drained
pH: Acid or Neutral or Alkaline

Position

Full sun Partial shade

Aspect: East–facing or South–facing or West–facing
Exposure: Exposed or 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): H7

Colour & Scent

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
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: Unresolved
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea: This genus produces fruit, but not necessarily edible fruit

How to Grow

Cultivation

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

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer or hardwood cuttings in autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Wildlife gardens
Edible fruit
Flower borders and beds
Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 2. Keep pruning to a minimum for the first three years, then remove weak or damaged stems and relieve congestion by removing some of the older stems back to their base. The remaining young stems can be lightly pruned to encourage sideshoots in early to midsummer, immediately after the harvest

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)