Lonicera, Bush Honeysuckle, Tatarian Honeysuckle 'Arnold's Red'

Who would want to grow a bush honeysuckle without fragrant flowers? The flowers of this species are small and have no fragrance. Most des...Read Morecriptions exaggerate the ornamental value of their flowers. If you want a fragrant bush honeysuckle, get L. fragrantissima.

The gang-of-four Asian shrub honeysuckles that are widely invasive in North America (L. maackii, L. tatarica, L. x bella, and L. morrowii) are dowdy shrubs without fragrance. They come with a host of pests and diseases, including the Russian aphid that causes disfiguring witches' broom. This cultivar is claimed to be resistant to Russian aphid.

Planting this noxious weed species is prohibited in four states. Together with the other invasive honeysuckles and buckthorn, it destroys natural habitat and shades out our native woodland wildflowers. It impoverishes our once rich native flora and reduces its capacity to support wildlife.

This cultivar of the Tartarian Honeysuckle is still sold in nurseries because it is resistant to the Russian Aphid that ruins the upper f...Read Moreoliage. While it does have pretty bluish-green foliage and darker pink flowers, it grows in a very messy, unkempt, straggly habit and quickly produces lots of dead wood. It has no autumn color and it has ugly twigs and bark, and it often ground suckers. Like its parent species, it is an invasive plant, helping to clog up open woods and fields, especially in the Midwest. It is not as bad and invasive as its big brother, the Amur Honeysuckle that grows bigger, has darker, bigger leaves, and white flowers.

This is a very beautiful plant with nice purple flowers. The birds love to eat the berries, while the bush can form a nice privacy screen...Read More in shaded areas.

Very fast growing, can have a very thick trunk at the bottom. Actually tore the latticing off my porch by growing through it and then up....Read More
Considered an invasive species in VT.