Shrubs, trees and climbers

Honeysuckle

LoniceraCaprifoliaceae
Also: Box honeysuckle
AT A GLANCE
Part shade Water: average H6down to −20 °C 1–1.5 m tall · 1–1.5 m wide In a pot: yes

Water well through the first two summers to establish a dense root system before regular clipping begins.

Care

Light

Standard hedging siting.

Water

Once established.

Soil

Adaptable, well-drained soil of most types.

Pruning

Trim as a hedge 2-3 times through the growing season to keep a dense, formal shape; tolerates hard renovation pruning well.

Feeding

A light spring feed is enough, and a clipped hedge benefits more than a free-standing shrub. The evergreen hedging kinds are naturally vigorous — feeding mostly means clipping more often.

Propagation

Semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings from late summer onwards; the hedging types root so easily that a whole hedge can be raised from one plant's prunings.

Month by month

Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.

  1. MarchFeed as growth resumes. how ›
  2. AprilFirst hedge trim of the season. how ›
  3. JulySecond trim mid-summer. how ›

Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.

  1. MarchFeed as growth resumes. how ›
  2. AprilFirst hedge trim of the season. how ›
  3. JulySecond trim mid-summer. how ›

Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.

  1. FebruaryFeed as growth resumes. how ›
  2. MarchFirst hedge trim of the season. how ›
  3. JulySecond trim mid-summer. how ›

Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.

  1. FebruaryFeed as growth resumes. how ›
  2. MarchFirst hedge trim of the season. how ›
  3. JulySecond trim mid-summer. how ›

Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.

Common problems

How to spot it. On new growth.

What to do. Encourage predators.

Powdery mildewfull sheet ›

How to spot it. In dry conditions.

What to do. Improve airflow.

Honeysuckle sawfly

How to spot it. Caterpillars stripping leaves.

What to do. Remove by hand.

Questions

Honeysuckle: is it hardy?

H6: Hardy in the vast majority of UK gardens. It survives down to −20 °C.

Can it grow in a pot?

Sometimes grown as clipped topiary in pots.

Honeysuckle: when do you prune it?

Trim as a hedge 2-3 times through the growing season to keep a dense, formal shape; tolerates hard renovation pruning well. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in April, July.

When do you feed it?

A light spring feed is enough, and a clipped hedge benefits more than a free-standing shrub. The evergreen hedging kinds are naturally vigorous — feeding mostly means clipping more often. Feeding months, UK: April.