PSC 2620: Woody Trees and ShrubCourse HomeWeek 2

Lonicera tatarica - Tatarian Honeysuckle

Plant Viewer
The leaves are ovate and have a bluish-green hue. They are arranged opposite on the stem. The fruit forms by summer.
Mature stems have distinct stripes in the bark. The plant will naturally become woody and overgrown.

Plant Description

Lonicera tatarica is a large (10 feet tall), blooming shrub. It has a good oval form, though branches may exhibit some slight weeping habit at the ends. Branching is very dense and should be regularly pruned to prevent it becoming too overgrown. The bark of the stems is a light grey and the stems have a hollow pith.

Leaves are green to blue-green, ovate, oppositely arranged on the stem and about 2 inches long with smooth edges. Flowers appear on the shrub in late spring, after the leaves have appeared. Clusters of colorful buds open into fragrant, four-petaled blossoms in the spring. The blossoms may be white or varying shades of pink. Following the blossoms, clusters of bright red berries, 1/2 inches in diameter, appear in the summer.

Lonicera tatarica is very cold hardy and also tolerates poor soil and other environmental conditions.

Landscape Use

Traditionally, Lonicera tatarica has been used as a hedge or border shrub. It is also suitable in bed plantings, though there are several other flowering and fruiting shrubs that are more impressive.

Points of interest

The Russian Aphid can cause significant ornamental and physical damage to Tatarian Honeysuckle and has been a major problems throughout the country. Tatarian Honeysuckle is also considered invasive in many parts of the country.

Notable Cultivars

Arnold's Red: The most popular commercially available cultivar. It was selected specifically for its resistance to the Russian Aphid. Blossoms are red. Image: Wikipedia.org