Winter Honeysuckle – Sweetness to spare

Because winter honeysuckle is somewhat of an “ugly duckling,” you may not find it in garden centers. But you can grow it from seed or cuttings yourself. And when you do, you’ll want to plant it along the perimeter of the yard or toward the back of a mixed border but close enough to your walking route through the garden that you can enjoy its wonderful winter fragrance. This baby smells that good!

Winter honeysuckle growing in a thicket together with flowering quince in a public garden. This is as good as these plants look. You can see why they’re planted out of the way, where they can be smelled or seen at a distance. Zoom in on the honeysuckle to see the exfoliating bark. (Photo by Neil Sperry) Click image for larger view.

Its tubular flowers are less than an inch in size and are hardly noticeable, but your nose will certainly detect the captivating lemony fragrance of the flowers throughout the landscape. Branches in bloom may be cut for fragrant floral arrangements to fill your home during the drab winter season.

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In the late spring and summer, small, dark red berries appear on the shrub but are mostly hidden by the foliage. Even the foliage can look thinned, tattered and unattractive by the end of the growing season.

Just a few flowers will perfume an entire garden. Plant where prevailing north winds will carry this toward your entry in winter. Photo by Steve Huddleston. Click image for larger view.

To put it in short terms: You get the feeling that the plant doesn’t want to be seen. Humor that, and plant it behind other, more spectacular shrubs and perennials. It’s there so you can enjoy the sweet smells.

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Here are the things you’ll need to know…
• Many nursery workers may not know this plant.
• Common name: Winter honeysuckle.
• Scientific name: Lonicera fragrantissima.
• Native to southern and eastern China. Introduced into the United States in the late 1800s as an ornamental and for wildlife food and shelter.

Flowers and young stems of winter honeysuckle before bark starts to peel off. Photo by Steve Huddleston. Click image for larger view.

• Hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 4a to 8b, which means it’s well adapted to much of Texas, including the Panhandle.
• Mature size: 6-10 ft. tall and wide.
• Growth form: Large shrub, irregular shape.
• Sun/shade: Full sun to partial shade.
• Soil preference: Highly organic, but tolerant of rocky, shallow soils. Does best with consistent moisture but tolerates drought. Does best in acidic to neutral soils.
• Evergreen/deciduous: Semi-evergreen to deciduous, depending on temperatures.
• Leaves: Dull blue-green to dark green, opposite each other on stems.
• Stems: Light brown with exfoliating bark.

The closer you get to winter honeysuckle’s blooms, the more attractive they are – both by looks and by smell. Photo by Steve Huddleston. Click image for larger view.

• Flowers: Creamy white, to 1 in. across. Attractive to bees, so good winter pollinator plant.
• Insect, disease problems: Nothing major.
• Propagated from seeds or stem cuttings.

Note: Some states, notably in the Southeast, list this species as invasive because of birds spreading its seeds. It is possible for it to form dense thickets of undergrowth and thus choke out native plant growth.

Posted by Steve Huddleston

About the Author

Steve Huddleston served as Senior Horticulturist at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden before his retirement. He then returned to the Garden as Public Relations Manager. He retired from that second position as well, but don’t expect to see him in the domino hall. Steve manages his own landscape design business which still gives him an opportunity to create beauty with plants. And, Grandpa Steve is going to be spending special family time in the future as well. And, of course, write for e-gardens monthly.

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