Lonicera MAACKII

Lonicera MAACKII - Amur honeysuckle, Maack's honeysuckle.

Honeysuckle belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. These are erect, climbing, or creeping shrubs, with about 190 species known in almost all regions of the Northern Hemisphere, mostly from the Himalayas and East Asia. In Russia, there are 14 wild-growing species.

Honeysuckles are deciduous or evergreen shrubs. Some grow several meters high, resembling trees more because of erect and spreading stems. Others almost trail along the ground. Still others represent shrubby vines.

Foliage densely covers heavily branching limbs. Leaves are green, attached to shoots with short petioles, arranged oppositely. The size and shape of leaf blades is one of the species distinctions. Often upper leaves fuse together, forming a peculiar involucre.

Blooms in spring and summer. Flowers appear in pairs or form a whorl. Often whorls unite into large paniculate, racemose, or spicate inflorescences. In some species, flowers exude fragrance; in others, they lack scent, but all are regarded as nectar plants. Fused petals of the corolla create a tube and a five-lobed limb. The coloration can be solid (white, pink, red, violet), as well as bicolored. Fruits can be red, black, orange, white, blue. Berries fuse in pairs. Juicy fruits contain several small seeds.

Amur honeysuckle is a deciduous shrub whose height can reach 4 m (13 ft), with a handsome spreading crown up to 4 m (13 ft) in diameter. At five years of age, the plant height reaches 1 m (3.3 ft) with a crown diameter of up to 100 cm (39 in); at twenty years - 4.6 m (15 ft) tall and a crown diameter of up to 4 m (13 ft). Growth occurs approximately from mid-April and finishes in autumn, in September or early October. It grows quite rapidly, blooms from 4-5 years, starting from late May to early June, or until the second half of the first summer month for 7-9 days. From 5-8 years it begins bearing fruit annually, very abundantly.

Bark is light gray. Leaves are simple, entire, elliptic, large, up to 8 cm (3.1 in), glabrous. The tip of the leaf blade is elongated, acuminate. In autumn, leaves turn yellow and do not persist long on the branches. Flowers are snow-white, funnel-shaped, situated above the leaves, giving the shrub a very attractive appearance. Flowering duration lasts from the beginning to the very end of June. Fruits are sessile, rounded, small, dark scarlet berries, inedible, persisting long on branches. Fruits ripen in late August - early September. The plant is cold-hardy, withstands winter well, with up to 15% seed germination. Summer cuttings root poorly. Shade-tolerant, withstands drought well. Damaged insignificantly by pests and diseases. Any soils are suitable, acidic or neutral.

Sowing of seeds is carried out in seed boxes under film, covering the seeds with a thin layer of potting mix. They are stratified for 21 days at a temperature of 5-7 °C (41-45 °F), and then germinated for 3-8 weeks in light at a temperature of 18-22 °C (64-72 °F). Sowing before winter to a depth of up to 3 cm (1.2 in) is also possible.

© Greeniverse. All rights reserved.

Shade-tolerant. Prefers fertile and moderately moist soils with good air permeability. If the shrub is planted in sandy soil, preliminary incorporation of organic fertilizers, peat, and ammonium nitrate is necessary. The plant is able to tolerate brief drought, but abundant flowering and fruiting occur only with frequent watering. Water is applied at the root 2-3 times a week without waiting for complete drying of the soil ball. After watering twice during the summer, Amur honeysuckle is fertilized with mineral complex feedings with high content of potassium and phosphorus. The final fertilizer application is conducted before the onset of persistent autumn cold. Insignificantly damaged by pests and diseases. Any soils are suitable, acidic or neutral.