This is a splendid, deciduous or semi-evergreen shrub, that will flower more profusely when trained against a sunny wall. Fortune introduced Lonicera fragrantissima to England in 1845, and a few years later it was introduced to the United States. The flowers, borne in pairs, are each about 1 centimetre (0.39 in) long. The seeds are dispersed by birds and mammals that eat the berries. Lonicera fragrantissima is a multi-stemmed, upright, deciduous (evergreen in the South) shrub that grows from 6-10 ft. (1.8-3 m) tall. Red berries in late summer. Come spring, the leaves of Lonicera fragrantissima will appear a deep, rich green, with a purple/bronze flush to them. Does well in wet or moist situations, but adapts to drier sites. Fully hardy. (Caprifoliaceae) fragrantissimaLindl. Sun to partial shade. Lonicera fragrantissima, commonly called winter honeysuckle or fragrant honeysuckle, is a somewhat stiff-branched, deciduous shrub with a bushy, spreading habit. This tough, woody 40-yr.-old shrub has lived outside the living room window of Ma's old farmhouse in Jud, Texas forever. [3], This honeysuckle, a species of "bush honeysuckle", is a shrub usually growing 1 to 3 metres (3.3 to 9.8 ft) tall, sometimes reaching a maximum height around 4.6 metres (15 ft). Extremely fragrant, short-tubed, creamy white flowers appear in early spring before the leaves emerge. Plant it in full sun to part shade; shadier locations will both reduce the amount of flowering and also stunt the plant's growth somewhat. [4] They are very fragrant, with a "lemony" scent. The winter honeysuckle bush (Lonicera fragrantissima) was introduced from China in the mid-nineteenth century, and its delightfully fragrant flowers soon became a favorite with gardeners and landscapers. It blooms here (Z6a) in late winter or very early spring, with a light, sweet, penetrating scent like that of lemon blossoms. These are sometimes followed by dull-red berries. No serious insect or disease problems. Clipped or informal hedge, screen or background plant in a shrub border. Honeysuckle is renowned for its colorful, fragrant flowers and variously colored fruit, indicating the presence of complex phytochemicals underlying these properties. Winter Flowering Honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima and L. x purpussii 'Winter Beauty' There are two main varieties of winter flowering Honeysuckles normally grown. Both are shrubby types, rather than the more common climbing honeysuckle and both are considered as semi-evergreen or deciduous. Hardy to USDA Zone 4 Native range from Alaska to the southwest, eastward to the Lake States and Quebec. Height and spread to 6ft (2m). Invaders of Texas Observations. Lonicera fragrantissma matures in 6' to 10'. It was brought to the attention of western gardeners by Scottish plant hunter Robert Fortune, who was plant hunting in China for the Royal Horticultural Society. Description. The Alabama Plant Atlas is a source of data for the distribution of plants within the state as well as taxonomic, conservation, invasive, and wetland information for each species. Lonicera fragrantissima is a delightful winter-flowering shrub bearing fragrant, cream-white flowers on almost leafless branches. ... more bushy than most, with purple-flushed white flowers fading to yellow; flowers and red fruit come in large clusters. The two most-often used common names are winter honeysuckle and standing honeysuckle, both of which provide useful insight into the landscape character of the plant. The seeds must be stratified before they will germinate. Our large specimen at the nursery begins blooming with small, white flowers in January and continues through March. AddThis. Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) is another shrub-type honeysuckle that makes a good hedge or screen. Oval, dark green foliage sometimes has bluish tinge. Extremely fragrant (lemony), short-tubed, creamy white flowers appear in early spring before the leaves emerge. [4] The fruit is a red berry up to a centimeter wide. One type, Lonicera fragrantissima, is not considered poisonous. Lonicera fragrantissima, a bushy deciduous shrub with pairs of highly fragrant, dual-lipped, cream flowers in winter and early spring. Winter honeysuckle is a somewhat stiff-branched, deciduous shrub with a bushy, spreading habit. With limited pruning, Winter Honeysuckle is a shrub form honeysuckle and not as invasive as most other honeysuckle varieties. Lonicera x purpusii , a deciduous or semi-evergreen bushy shrub. Learn more about winter flowering honeysuckle plants in this article. Flowers are followed by small, somewhat inconspicuous, red berries which mature in late spring to early summer. fragrantissima: very fragrant. When planted as a ground cover, use 2 or 3 plant… Typically grows 6-10' tall and as wide. University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service Horitculture Landscape Shrubs Winter Honeysuckle Lonicera fragrantissima Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Erosion, Clay Soil, Dry Soil, Black Walnut. The budded branches may be cut for fragrant, indoor arrangements. The Winter Honeysuckle produces wonderfully scented, creamy white flowers during the winter months upon semi-bare branches, sometimes also followed by red berries. The leaves are up to 9 centimetres (3.5 in) long by 4.5 centimetres (1.8 in) wide. Lonicera xheckrottii and Lonicera periclymenum are just as pretty and far better behaved. It grows fairly quickly to a height of six to 10 feet and bears fragrant white flowers in very late winter or early spring, making it a pleasant harbinger of spring. Lonicera fragrantissima – known as the winter honeysuckle this deciduous shrub offers white scented flowers from January to March. [3], This plant, considered a "harbinger of spring",[4] is grown for ornamental purposes and as a hedge. In 1853 the editor of American gardening magazine The Horticulturist wrote that the previous year he had been sent a specimen from a plant that had been flowering in the gardens of Hatfield House, the Marquess of Salisbury's stately home in Hertfordshire. It can be found growing in the wild in parts of the eastern United States from Ohio to New York to the southeastern states. Lonicera fragrantissima is considered invasive in many states. It has also been observed in Utah. Extremely fragrant (lemony), short-tubed, creamy white flowers appear in early spring before the leaves emerge. Where is this species invasive in the US. ... Lonicera fragrantissima. Beloved for its extraordinarily fragrant winter blooms, Lonicera fragrantissima (Sweetest Honeysuckle) is a bushy deciduous shrub. Winter Honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, a group of shrubs in bloom. The website also provides access to a database and images of plants photos and herbarium specimens found at … If the variety is unknown and ingestion of berries is known or suspected, contact … Typically grows 6-10' tall and as wide. [3], "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lonicera_fragrantissima&oldid=986563452, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 November 2020, at 17:03. Flowers are a harbinger of spring. While sugars determine the level of sweetness in the berries, organic acids and polyphenolsare responsib… It does well in dry conditions, which can also help check its rampant growth. Component analyses of berries from 27 different cultivars and 3 genotypes of edible honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea var. Prune to shape after flowering. In the eastern United States, over twenty species of birds feed on the persistent fruits and widely disseminate seeds across the landscape. It’s also considered to have cold properties, making it an excellent natural remedy for removing heat from the body as well as toxins. Winter honeysuckle (L. fragrantissima) ... honeysuckle is a shrub that provides all year interest with flowers of deep red to purple rose followed by ruby red fruit and golden autumn colour. In some parts of the world, where conditions are right, when it moves out of cultivation and takes hold in the wild, it can become an invasive weed. It is native to China and has been an introduced species to other parts of the world. glabrous) younger stems. Some susceptibility to leaf spot, blight and powdery mildew. It can form a dense understory thicket restricting native plant growth and tree seedling establishment. Potential insect pests include aphids, scale, sawfly, whitefly, loopers, plant hoppers, flea beetles and webworm. kamtschatica) showed the presence of iridoids, anthocyanins, flavonols, flavanonols, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and phenolic acids. This amazing smelling shrub offers great landscape variety as well as a wildlife shrub. Native A… Sort of a vine, sort of a shrub, the plant develops into a broad irregular tangled mass providing great cover for birds. lonicera fragrantissima. ... it is seldom appropriate for home gardens. Oregon State Univ. ~7mm x 5mm. These wonderful blooms become red berries as spring turns into summer. Sakhalin honeysuckle grows to an ultimate height of around 2 metres (6 feet). In late winter to early spring, a profusion of highly fragrant, short-tubed, creamy-white flowers line up along each stem, before the leaves emerge. Fortune introduced Lonicera fragrantis… Fruit. Lonicera fragrantissima is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common names winter honeysuckle, fragrant honeysuckle, January jasmine, Chinese honeysuckle, kiss-me-at-the-gate, and sweet breath of spring. [3] They are white to "creamy white" in color. Scientific Name: LoniceraL. I can often smell a single shrub a hundred feet downwind, and my sense of smell is almost nonexistent. These are sometimes followed by dull-red berries. Budded branches may be cut for an early, fragrant, indoor arrangement.Genus name honors Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586), German botanist, the author of an herbal (Kreuterbuch) many times reprinted between 1557 and 1783.Specific epithet means very fragrant. You can still find unattended stands thriving at crumbling old homesteads and graveyards. Easily grown in average, dry to medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Height 151-200cm; spread 251-300cm.Supplied in a 3 litre pot. Caution: Lonicera fragrantissima, as well as several other "bush honeysuckles", is considered an invasive species of the forests of several southern states, in that area it is commonly known as Sweet-breath-of-sping and/or January jasmine. It is native to China and has been an introduced species to other parts of the world. This wonderful, winter-flowering shrub produces fragrant, creamy-white flowers in mild spells between December and March on almost leafless branches. The first mention of a specimen for commercial sale in an American plant catalogue is in 1860. The stems are solid and continuous, white pith, has stringy, tan bark and are often purple when young. [2], The honeysuckle is used as an ornamental plant for its fragrant flowers. Flowering habit in early February, filling the air with a sweet fragrance. Consider planting native plants. Lonicera fragrantissima Family: Caprifoliaceae Winter Honeysuckle Origin: China. Lonicera fragrantissima is no newcomer to Texas gardens. TCM practitioners use the flower both internally and externally for a variety of health conditionsincluding skin infections, ulcers, fevers and inflammatory conditions. Biology & Spread: Open-grown exotic bush honeysuckles fruit prolifically and are highly attractive to birds. This plant is listed as a noxious weed in one or more Midwestern states outside Missouri and should not be moved or grown under conditions that would involve danger of dissemination. It was brought to the attention of western gardeners by Scottish plant hunter Robert Fortune, who was plant hunting in China for the Royal Horticultural Society. Although Japanese honeysuckle prefers moist, loamy soils, these ideal conditions can cause the plant to grow too vigorously. Winter Honeysuckle, Lonicera fragrantissima, the lovely scented flowers close up. The tubular or two-lipped flowers, often very fragrant, are followed by red or black berries Details L. fragrantissima is a bushy deciduous shrub to 2m, with simple, ovate leaves to 6cm long, and pairs of very fragrant, 2-lipped cream flowers 1cm long in winter and early … In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the honeysuckle flower links with the lung, stomach and large intestine meridians. Deciduous shrub, semievergreen in Lower South. Fruit paired, dark purple or black berries, about 5 mm wide. Reaches a height of 1.5m; Lonicera periclymenum ‘Graham Thomas’ – scented white flowers that turn to yellow from July to September. Green leaves turn … It can be found growing unattended in old cemeteries and homesites where few other ornamental plants survive. Lonicera fragrantissima is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family known by the common names winter honeysuckle, fragrant honeysuckle, January jasmine, Chinese honeysuckle, kiss-me-at-the-gate, and sweet breath of spring. Adapts to wide range of soils, including dry ones, but prefers moist, loamy soils. I read that it's invasive, but this is a single scruffy untended shrub that has not spread at … Noteworthy Characteristics Lonicera fragrantissima, commonly called winter honeysuckle or fragrant honeysuckle, is a somewhat stiff-branched, deciduous shrub with a bushy, spreading habit. [3][4] The seeds are dispersed by animals that eat the fruits. its distinctive flowers are two-lipped, the wider upper lip having four small lobes and the lower lip with a single lobe. Trained on a trellis, a single plant is normally used. Its scent lacks the heaviness of Japanese honeysuckle, but it's strong and it caries. When mature it is a bushy tangle of slender, spreading branches. Lonicera fragrantissima - Winter Honeysuckle Cute white flowers with strong citrus fragrance bloom on bare branches in mid to late winter. Makes a lovely cut flower for a winter vase. Its flowers are borne in pairs in the leaf forks and its mature fruit are red in colour. European honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum) is a climber or scrambling shrubby plant with hairy (i.e. campus: east side (north end) of Weniger Hall. Lonicera fragrantissima is a very fragrant winter-flowering honeysuckle shrub best placed where you will walk past it in winter and early spring. 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