Honeysuckle Plant

Honeysuckle Plant (lonicera caprifolium)

It is resistant to the cold, its flowers are beautiful and fragrant, and it is also a climber that will quickly cover the walls or pergolas that you want. Many of us will have seen it more than once, perhaps in the botanical gardens or perhaps in the nurseries, where they certainly sell it at a very economical price: it is the honeysuckle plant .

Unlike other climbing shrubs, this is one that does not grow more than 6m; In addition, it tolerates pruning very well, so it can be pruned to keep its growth controlled. She is very grateful, although she needs some care to be perfect. 

Characteristics of the honeysuckle plant (lonicera caprifolium)

Honeysuckle, or chupamiel or goosefoot, as it is sometimes called, is a plant whose scientific name is Lonicera caprifolium . It belongs to the botanical family Caprifoliaceae, and is native to southern Europe. It is a very fast-growing climbing shrub that has the evergreen, oval, glaucous and bright leaves below.

It blooms during the spring, giving off a very pleasant aroma, especially at night. Its flowers can be yellow, white or red. The fruit is an orange or reddish berry which, although it may appear to look very good, is not really edible; in fact, it is toxic , and in high doses can cause vomiting, diarrhea, or stomach discomfort.

Care of the honeysuckle plant (lonicera caprifolium)

Honeysuckle is an excellent climber to have in the gardens. Thanks to its small size and being an evergreen plant, it will make the corner look very beautiful, exotic even when it is full of flowers. In order for it to grow healthy, however, it is necessary that we take into account the following:

Location (lonicera caprifolium)

You have to protect it from the direct sun. It needs a lot of light, but it comes filtered . Being exposed to the direct sunlight its growth is practically null, and can end without leaves unless you put a shading mesh over it to avoid suffering from sunstroke.

Important to place it near any surface where you can climb , such as a tree, a pergola or a lattice.

Irrigation

Irrigation will be regular, avoiding ponding. Tolerates drought better than a permanently moist soil. Therefore, it is recommended to water every 3 days in summer, and every 4-5 days the rest of the year.

Use preferably rainwater, but if you can not get it, fill a bucket with tap water and let it sit overnight. The next day you can use the one in the upper half of the cube .

Resistance

Resists frost without problems of up to -15ºC .

Transplant

Whether you want to move to a larger pot or to the ground, you have to do it in the spring , before the plant honeysuckle resumes its growth. Let’s see how to proceed in each case:

Move to a larger pot

Transplanting it to a pot or larger pot is very simple. If you do not believe me, check it yourself ????:

• The first thing you have to do is take your new pot , which has to be at least 5cm wider and deeper, since the root is very vigorous.
• Then, you have to fill it with a little substrate , which can be black peat mixed with perlite in equal parts, or substrate for acidophilic plants. It is important to say that it is not an acidophilus plant, but this is a soil that allows it to grow properly.
• Next, the common honeysuckle is extracted from its “old” pot, and placed in the center of the new one . If you see that it is very low, throw more land; if on the contrary you see that it has been very high, remove it.
• Then, fill the pot with more substrate.
• And finally, give it a good watering , so that the soil is well soaked.

Go to the garden floor

When you want to plant definitely in the garden, you simply have to make a planting hole deep enough to fit, and place it if you need a tutor to guide you to the place where you want to climb. You can also choose to entangle their branches in the post, if it is clear ????.

After planting, do not forget to give it a generous watering so that the roots begin to grow.

Pruning (lonicera caprifolium)

This is a plant that needs to be pruned from time to time so that it has a dense shape. It must be done in the spring, before it resumes its growth, with the help of a pair of pruning shears, and as long as it has a minimum height of 60cm.

With the scissors will be cut no more than 4 pairs of leaves of all branches , especially if the plant is young, because otherwise it could harm you. It is not necessary to put healing paste on the wounds, but if you want, it does not hurt.

Plagues and diseases

No important pests or diseases are known, except aphids. These tiny, green insects attack it during the summer, taking advantage of the fact that temperatures are warm and the environment is dry. You can prevent this by making treatments with Neem Oil, but if you already have them, it is advisable to also use garlic or onion infusions(boiling five cloves of garlic or a medium-sized onion in a pot with 1l of water for half an hour).

In extreme cases, in which the plant is very, very full of aphids, it is necessary to use systemic insecticides .

Propagation Of The lonicera caprifolium

The common honeysuckle can be reproduced in three different ways: by seeds, by cuttings or by layering. What should be done in each case? We tell you:

Seeds

The seeds have to be sown in the spring, so you can pick the fruits with gloves in the fall, peel them and extract them and then store them until the good weather returns. Once you arrive, I advise you to put them in a glass of water for 24 hours ; this way you will know which are the viable ones, that is to say, those that will germinate almost surely.

Then, you have to fill a 20cm diameter pot with substrate – it can be universal, or mulch – and place a maximum of 2 seeds in it . Put them a little apart from each other in case the two germinate, and water them now and every 4 days, so that the earth is always slightly humid.

Place the pot in an area where it does not give direct sunlight, and you’ll see how in 15-30 days will begin to sproutthe first.

Cuttings

But if you’re a bit rushed, you can choose to reproduce it by cuttings during the summer. To do this, cut a semi-woody branch of at least 40cm in length, impregnate its base with rooting hormones in powder and plant it in a pot with universal substrate . From then on, you will have to water it every 3-4 days, preventing it from drying out.

When To do It?

And if you want to succeed with the culture, then I advise you to remember it in the spring. It is the easiest way to reproduce honeysuckle, since you only have to bury a hanging branch on the ground . After about 20 days, it will have taken root, so you can cut it and plant it in another area.

Attributes of The honeysuckle (lonicera caprifolium)

Honeysuckle flowers have many interesting medicinal properties. They have been used and are used today to relieve the symptoms of: flu, respiratory infections, hepatitis, cancer, rheumatism. In addition, they also help to sleep and to be calmer .