Tree Heptacodium miconioides [Seven-son Flower] The common name, Seven-Son Flower, is derived from the cluster of 7 small flowers contained within each whorl. The flowers are followed by very showy, reddish fruit structures that have the appearance of flowers. The tan, shredding bark is attractive and exfoliates in long strips to reveal a dark brown inner bark. This plant can be hard to find, both in the wild and in commerce. Needs pruning to maintain aesthetics.
Shrub Kolkwitzia amabilis [Beautybush] The Beautybush is an arching, deciduous shrub known for its spectacular pink flower show in the spring. However, it can be too coarse for the landscape when not in bloom. Dead wood should be removed and the plant should be pruned (even hard pruning to the ground) every few years to prevent the plant from becoming overgrown. Plants bloom on old wood so hard prunings will result in loss of bloom, but will improve the…
Shrub Lonicera fragrantissima [Winter Honeysuckle] Widely adapted to different soils and exposures. More drought-tolerant, and also not a weed problem, like some other Lonicera. Branches can be forced indoors in winter to provide fragrance. Renewal pruning to a low framework every 5-8 years is helpful to maintain nice form and vigor.
Shrub Lonicera korolkowii [Blueleaf Honeysuckle] The Blueleaf Honeysuckle is an irregularly loose, open, and arching shrub. Attractive pink flowers appear in the leaf axils in late spring and are followed by bright red fruits that mature in mid to late summer. This plant is rare in the trade and quite difficult to establish. Transplant balled-and-burlapped or container-grown. Rejuvenate periodically by cutting back 6-12" from the ground. Like nearly all honeysuckles, this plant can be invasive in environments that it is…
Shrub InvasiveThis plant is considered invasive Lonicera maackii [Amur Honeysuckle] Widely adaptable to different soils and exposures. Can be trained into a small patio tree. Suckers freely, requiring pruning in intensive situations. Seeds, carried by birds, germinate freely, and weed seedlings result. High shade tolerance contributes greatly to its highly invasive character. Perhaps the worst woody weed in the Midwestern and Northwestern US.
Shrub Lonicera × purpusii 'Winter Beauty' [Purple-Stem Winter Honeysuckle] 'Winter Beauty' is a dense, rounded semi-evergreen shrub that has red-violet stems and produces an abundance of fragrant white flowers in late winter and early spring. Rejuvenate periodically by cutting back 6-12" from the ground.
Shrub InvasiveThis plant is considered invasive Lonicera tatarica [Tatarian Honeysuckle] Widely adapted to different soils and exposures, but avoid wet soils. Pruning of dead twigs is required periodically. Renewal pruning to a low framework every 5-8 years is helpful to maintain nice form and vigor. Russian aphid, which causes witches brooming, is a significant pest. Lonicera tatarica readily invades open woodlands, old fields, and other disturbed sites. It can spread rapidly due to birds and mammals dispersing the seeds and can form an extremely dense…
