How to Grow Winter Flowering Honeysuckle
Winter flowering Honeysuckle, Latin name Lonicera fragrantissim, is a semi-evergreen shrub. If you are looking for a winter scent, it is hard to beat. Winter Honeysuckle is one of the most highly scented of shrubs. It combines the sweet perfume of honeysuckle with a citrusy scent.
This variety of honeysuckle will grow in full sun or light shade, although it's true to say it flowers best in full sun. Many people plant it near a door or path to enjoy its scent, but it is best to plant it against a wall for extra warmth and shelter to get the best flowering.
The images above show a close-up of the flowers in bloom spotted in January and February. The first image shows that the shrub itself doesn't amount too much, but the scent of the flowers is heavenly. I can honestly say in full bloom, is one of the best.
Winter flowering honeysuckle blooms from mid December and through to March with small creamy white, highly scented flowers. It varies from winter to winter. I took the image on the far right in mid January 2024 and it is just coming into flower.
L. fragrantissim will grow on any soil type, provided it is reasonably well drained. It is fully hardy H6 growing to around a height of 2m spread 4m.
It is deciduous, and the flowers appear on bare stems, and later the leaves. It tends to look a bit uninteresting after it has flowered.
Lonicera x purpusii 'Winter Beauty' is available from Suttons.(affiliate link)
How to prune Winter flowering Honeysuckle
Lonicera fragrantissim does not require regular pruning, although you can prune it to control its size. The best time to prune is after flowering around late March/April. You can remove about a third of the shoots, if required.
Winter flowering Honeysuckle forms its flowers on wood grown from spring onwards for the following year, known as flowering on 'old wood'. This means it is very important not to prune it after around the end of April, otherwise you risk pruning off next year's winter flowers. It can be vigorous, particularly if the growing conditions are good. This type of winter flowering Honeysuckle, once established, will tolerate a hard prune if needed.