Description
Diervilla lonicera
CT P EcoR
Soil: Slightly acidic, Well-drained
Moisture: Average to Dry
Light: Full to Part Sun
Plant Height: 2 to 3 feet
Plant Width: 2 to 5 feet
Pests: None
Landscape Value: Great for mass plantings, shrub borders, and on slopes. Makes a good small hedge. Great in naturalized areas where plants can spread to form colonies. Makes a good substitute for non-native and invasive honeysuckles. Useful for erosion control.
Easy-to-grow, densely-branched shrub with glossy, dark green leaves that turn shades of yellow, orange, and sometimes red in the autumn. Clusters of trumpet-shaped flowers are yellow at first becoming orange or red-purple. Flowers bloom in late spring to early summer and produce dry fruit capsules that attract songbirds. Not a true honeysuckle, the plant has honey-tasting flower nectar that can be enjoyed by sucking the flower, hence the common name. Plants sucker freely and can be propagated by transplanting suckers. Prune as needed immediately after flowering. Tolerates sandy soil, infertile soil, exposed rocky sites, and drought. Provides nest sites and cover for songbirds and ground birds. Attracts bumblebees, moths, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Larval host for Laurel Sphinx and Snowberry Clearwing moths.
1 gallon pot, 2-3 feet tall
Note: Two or more shrubs are recommended. Plants are self-sterile and require fertilization from a nearby plant.
Photo credits:
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (photos by Julie Makin)
minnesotawildflowers.info (photo by Peter Dziuk)
