Product Review

Japanese Honeysuckle is an extremely vigorous twining and trailing woody vine which typically grows 15-30'. It is perhaps the most popular of the Honeysuckles that are used as ground covers. In northern areas leaves turn a bronze or purple in the fall. Japanese honeysuckle blooms throughout the entire growing season. The flowers start out white, sometimes tinged with purple, and age to yellow in their second day. The flowers are extremely fragrant, appearing from May to frost and give way to black berries which mature in late summer to fall. Japanese Honeysuckle can be grown as a quick groundcover or planted on banks for erosion control. It grows quickly on a trellis or fence, to provide a sweetly-fragrant screen for privacy or shade. The flowers attract hummingbirds and bees, and the fruits are relished by many kinds of song birds. It has become an important food item for white-tailed deer in the eastern US. Zone: 4 to 9 Growth rate: Fast Plant Type: Vine or Ground Cover Family: Caprifoliaceae Native Range: Eastern Asia Height: 15 to 30 feet Spread: 3 to 6 feet Shape: Twining, climbing vine or trailing groundcover Bloom Time: May - October Bloom Color: White maturing to yellow Flower/Fruit: Small sweetly scented double-tongued flowers opening white and fading to yellow. Small black fruit. Sun: Full Sun to Part Shade Drought Tolerance: Moderate-High Water: Dry to Medium Maintenance: Medium Site Requirements /Soil Tolerances: Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates drought as well as soggy soils. Adapts to wide range of soils. Prefers moist, loamy soils. Culture: When used as a ground cover, 2-3 plants per square yard should be sufficient, and plants may be cut back hard (i.e., sheared close to the ground with an elevated lawn mower) in late winter to control growth and to remove dead undergrowth.