Some honeysuckles live up to their name by climbing higher, while others are so winter-defying that they forget to die down. However, both will certainly beautify any garden, and some will even smell good.
Climbing trees can also be called lianas, although this technical term is used more for tropical vegetation. In our climate there are not as many vines as in warmer regions. That makes them even more precious to us.
Wrapping honeysuckle grows to a height of two to four meters. The ovate leaves are most often arranged oppositely. The flowers appear in May to July, especially in the upper part of the shoots. They are symmetrical only along one plane and tubular. The flowers are small, but in considerable quantity. The fruit is a pulpy berry. It is interesting that the flowers and later the fruits are usually two on a common stalk, which is not the case with other trees.
Goat Leaf Honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium)
It is native to southeastern Europe. In our country, it is found scattered in nature in warm areas, mostly in southern Moravia, especially on the edges of deciduous forests. An important distinguishing feature is that the leaves are fused to each other under the inflorescence. The flower is up to 5 cm large, pink to reddish, the berries are orange-red. In our country, this honeysuckle is sometimes still called the “rose of Jericho”, which is probably because of the scent, which is more pronounced than that of other honeysuckles. Otherwise, however, this tree has nothing in common with the pranica rose.
Wrapping honeysuckle (L. dangerous)
The creeper is native to Western and Northern Europe, it is found closest to us in Northern Germany and Poland. In our country, it sometimes blooms when the fruits are distributed by birds, but it is not classified as an invasive species that could threaten our plant communities. The wood is similar to the previous species, but the leaves under the inflorescence do not fuse with each other. Yellowish white, reddish on the outside, fragrant flowers are in stalked heads. The berries of this species are crimson red.
Japanese honeysuckle (L. japonica)
As the name suggests, it grows in Japan; but also in China and Korea. It is semi-deciduous, the intensity of leaf fall is determined by the course of winter. Overall, however, it can be said that it is a honeysuckle that overwinters reliably. Young thin branches are hairy and densely intertwined. It has neat white fragrant flowers. The wood is used not only to support constructions, but also densely planted as ground cover, even on very steep slopes. Here, the variety ‘Aureoreticulata’ is often used, with a pronounced yellow-white veining of the leaves.
Zimolez Henryův (L. acuminatasyn. L. henryi)
This tree also comes from China. Unlike the previous species, it is evergreen. After ivy, it is actually the only evergreen vine cultivated in our country. In suitable conditions, it is a powerfully growing species. The leaves are narrow, lanceolate, leathery and dark green. The flowers of Henry’s honeysuckle are small, white and pink, not very decorative.
Its fruits are also berries, this time dark blue-black.
Honeysuckle shiny, (L. clear)
The evergreen tree is native to China. It is about 1.2 m tall, but it grows wider rather than taller. The leaves are really shiny green, reminiscent of myrtle. The odorless flowers are creamy white in color, the purple berries appear rarely and dry quickly. The shrub is often planted in hedges, where it tolerates trimming well and branches thickly. In this case, however, you will not see flowers.
Capped honeysuckle, (L. pileata)
The species is very similar to the glossy honeysuckle, from which it differs in its lower, rather creeping growth and fragrant pale yellow flowers. It grows wild in western and central China.
Wrapping honeysuckle has always been of great interest to gardeners, and over time a number of nice varieties have also been bred. The most beautiful of them certainly include:
- Brown’s honeysuckle (L. x brownii) ‘Dropmore Scarlet Trumpet’, orange-light red flowers, odorless, upper pairs of leaves are fused
- zimolez Heckrottův (L. x heckrottii), purplish-reddish flowers, fragrant, less vigorous
- Zimolez Tellmannův (L. x tellmanniana), distinctly orange-yellow flowers, odorless, erect
What do they need?
In general, honeysuckle is easy to grow. Most of the listed species grow equally well in the sun and in semi-shade, where the evergreens do best. Although they are not picky about the quality of the soil, they are rather lime-loving. If they want to pop up the structure soon, they will benefit from deeply processed humus soil and, in case of prolonged drought, abundant watering. However, regular watering is necessary for evergreen species. Choose a place protected from winds for them, they thrive in lowlands or warm hills.
Location and planting
Prepare a suitable structure even before planting. Light and airy up to a height of about 2.5 meters is enough. They can be slat trellises, lattices, arches, pergolas, columns or higher fences. The neighborhood of other climbing trees is not very suitable, because the expanding honeysuckle would oppress them. Especially fragrant species and varieties are very suitable for paths, staircases, gazebos and benches. Low evergreen species are then used as borders, cut hedges and to cover a larger area.
Honeysuckle can be planted in autumn and in early spring, when, of course, water it abundantly. Protect evergreen species with pine needles or non-woven fabric from bare frosts. Radically shorten the shoots in early spring. Sometimes it certainly happens that they freeze, but they regenerate well.
More cultivation
Loosely tie the gradually growing shoots of climbing honeysuckle to the structure. Over time, they tend to be too thick, especially in the upper part. They bloom less then, and in addition, especially during snow, there is a risk that they will also break the structure. Therefore, prune them in early spring and sometimes don’t be afraid to radically rejuvenate them, when you cut the oldest, dried or broken shoots down to the ground. If you must repot, also remove all but the buds near the ground. After general spring cleaning, it is a good time to add full mineral or organo-mineral fertilizer. From the point of view of the occurrence of pests, the most important are aphids, which honeysuckle often suffers from. Then repeated spraying is necessary.
Home propagation
The easiest way to propagate is by scraping off the root projections and grafting. If you need a larger number of seedlings, it is possible to try propagation from herbaceous summer cuttings, which take root in a mixture of peat with sand or perlite under high humidity in a closed space. Then fertilizing, transplanting into nutritious soil and sheltered wintering are certainly necessary. Goat leaf honeysuckle and wrapping honeysuckle can also be propagated from de-pulped seeds. Sow already in autumn, or stratify in moist sand or perlite at temperatures just above zero. However, growing young plants is more tedious than cutting.
About the author
Jiří Žlebčík he is a botanist. For decades, he has been researching and growing plants at the Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Horticulture, which also includes an extremely inspiring dendrological garden open to the public.
Source: Receptář magazine
