Japanese honeysuckle, the tree of gold and silver
Lonicera japonica
- Exposures
- Sun, Half-shade
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 7b (-15°C ≤ T° < -12.2°C)
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Semi-evergreen
- Family
- Caprifoliaceae
- Genus
- Honeysuckle Lonicera
- Species
- Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica
Other names:Caprifolium japonicum, Nintooa japonica, Caprifolium brachypodum, Caprifolium chinense, Lonicera brachypoda, Lonicera aureoreticulata, Lonicera chinensis
Japanese honeysuckle (Latin: Lonicera japonica) fills our summer evenings with its citrus-scented blossoms. This plant, which grows wild in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family.
How can you identify Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)?
Japanese honeysuckle is a climbing shrub with a supple, spreading habit. Highly branched, it can reach up to 10 meters in height and spread.
Its twining stems easily wrap around all types of supports (trees, fences, trellises). In the wild, they can even smother neighboring plants. The young, reddish, and slightly hairy shoots contrast with the older, brownish, and hollow branches.
Japanese honeysuckle retains its bright green foliage year-round in regions with a mild climate. Elsewhere, it is semi-evergreen. The leaves, which are oval to lanceolate, measure between 3 and 8 cm long by 2 to 4 cm wide. Fine hairs grow along the midrib and on the underside of the leaf blade.
Japanese honeysuckle blooms from May through October in three successive waves. Highly fragrant, it gives off a scent similar to that of orange blossoms, attracting bees and other pollinators. The tubular, slender, and elongated flowers consist of a conical calyx, oval bracts, and long, protruding stamens. As with wood Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum subsp. Periclymenum), their color changes over time: white when they first open, they gradually turn yellow.
After flowering, globular berries appear, starting out green and turning black when ripe.
Is Japanese honeysuckle toxic?
The toxicity of honeysuckles (Lonicera) remains poorly documented. It is strongly recommended not to consume the plant and to exercise caution around young children and pets.
While the berries are safe for birds to eat, they are toxic to humans and most animals. Ingesting them can cause digestive problems of varying severity, such as diarrhea, stomachaches, nausea, or vomiting.
It appears, however, that climbing honeysuckles, such as Japanese honeysuckle, are less harmful than certain shrubby species.
Our care tips
If your Lonicera japonica is balding, prune it severely at the beginning of winter. The plant will recover in spring.
Watering
Water the base of your Lonicera japonica when the soil has dried by about three centimetres. Your plant likes rainwater, but will also tolerate mains water.
Don't let water stagnate in the planter or saucer. It will rot the roots.
Repotting
In spring, transfer your Lonicera japonica to a larger pot, so that it can continue to grow.
Get a tub or pot with holes at least 50 centimetres deep. You can place clay balls or gravel at the bottom to optimize drainage.
Pour in a layer of universal potting soil. A mixture of garden soil and planting mix may also be suitable. Plant your Lonicera japonica. Add substrate, compact and water generously.
Your Lonicera japonica is a climber. Give it something to climb on (pergola, trellis, fence). Guide the branches along the support to show them the way.
Repot your plant to give it more space and stimulate growth.
Get a pot with drainage holes that's the right size for your cutting. You can create a drainage layer at the bottom using clay pellets or gravel. Fill your pot with potting soil for seedlings and planting. Plant your cutting and water generously.
If you're growing your plant as a climber and its size allows it, set up your support and guide the branches to show them the way.
If you're growing your plant as a climber and its size allows it, set up your support and guide the branches to show them the way.
Fertilization
You can stimulate the growth of your plant during its growth phase, in spring and summer, with fertilizer.
Fertilize your Japanese honeysuckle every month. Use a flowering plant fertilizer to stimulate flowering.
Prune
Using shears or pruning shears, cut back dead, diseased or damaged branches.
If your Lonicera japonica is very dense, you can also remove the most tangled branches to control the shape and let light penetrate to the heart of the plant.
Finally, prune flower-bearing branches to encourage new growth. Always cut above a bud or group of healthy leaves.
Planting
A few days before planting, prepare the soil over an area approximately four times the size of the root ball of your Lonicera japonica:
- Spade ;
- Remove stones and weeds;
- Add compost and universal potting soil to enrich the soil.
Soak the root ball of your Lonicera japonica to rehydrate it. Dig a hole slightly deeper than the root ball. If you've provided a trellis or stake for your plant to climb, install it now.
Plant your Lonicera japonica. The surface of the rootball should be flush with the ground. Fill in, compact and water. Guide the stems over the support to help them climb.
If you're planting several specimens, to make a hedge, for example, it's advisable to spacethem at least 50 centimetres apart andplant only one plant per square metre.
Taking cuttings
Choose a healthy, vigorous branch of the year, about 20 centimeters long. It should have at least two layers of leaves.
Using a clean, sharp tool, prune flush with the lower leaves. Remove them. Prune a centimetre above the top leaves.
Pour a mixture of potting soil and sand into a pot whose hole has been plugged with a pebble. Push half the stem of your cutting into the center without watering.
Place the pot in a mini greenhouse; if you don't have one, you can cover the plant with a translucent bag or a cut bottle. Place your graft in a bright spot, without direct sunlight.
Every day, aerate for a few minutes to drain off condensation and mist.
Every day, aerate for a few minutes to drain off condensation and mist.
Frequently asked questions
When does Japanese honeysuckle bloom?
Japanese honeysuckle blooms from spring to late autumn, in three successive periods.
What's the difference between Japanese honeysuckle and honeysuckle?
Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is one species among the many honeysuckles (Lonicera). It is distinguished in particular by:
- Its white flowers with tubular corollas that turn yellow;
- Its semi-evergreen foliage;
- Its leaves, which are not fused at the base, unlike those of some other species.
How long does Japanese honeysuckle last?
The lifespan of Japanese honeysuckle depends largely on its cultivation conditions. It can live for up to 20 years, or even longer when properly installed and cared for.
Diseases / Threats
Information
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Foliage
- Semi-evergreen
- Exposures
- SunHalf-shade
- Substrate
- Humus soil
- Planting methods
- Open groundIn potsIn tubs
- Tags
- BeginnerFloweryHardyToxic
- Origin
- East Asia
- Hardiness (USDA)
- 7b (-15°C ≤ T° < -12.2°C)
- Leaf color
- Light green
- Flower colors
- WhiteYellow
- Fruit colors
- Light greenBlack
Discover plants from the same family
Winter honeysuckle
Lonicera fragrantissima
Lonicera nitida
Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis
Wood honeysuckle
Lonicera periclymenum subsp. periclymenum
Tartarian honeysuckle
Lonicera tatarica
Find out more
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