Bush Honeysuckle, Diervilla lonicera, has dense, dark green foliage that turns yellow-orange, then red to purple in the autumn. The color will be more dramatic on plantings that receive more sunlight. Not a true honeysuckle, this small, mound-shaped shrub will …
Bush Honeysuckle has dense, dark green foliage that turns yellow-orange, then red to purple in the autumn. The color will be more dramatic on plantings that receive more sunlight. Not a true honeysuckle, this small, mound-shaped shrub will spread to form thickets over time, making it a good choice for massing, hedgerows or shrub borders. The yellow honeysuckle-like flowers, which turn reddish in color as they mature, attract butterflies and other pollinators. The fruit capsules are desirable to many songbirds, in autumn and winter. Bush Honeysuckle is a host plant for the Laurel Sphinx moth and the Snowberry Clearwing.
This drought tolerant native shrub adapts easily to poor, rocky soils. Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla sp.) is not to be confused with invasive honeysuckles. Morrow's honeysuckle, Tatarian honeysuckle, Amur honeysuckle, and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) are all invasive and non-native. Somewhat similar in appearance, native and invasive honeysuckles can be distinguish by looking at the stems - native honeysuckles have solid stems while invasive honeysuckles have hollow stems.
Planting and Cultivation Notes
Diervilla lonicera has "perfect flowers," which means that both male and female parts are contained on a single flower. The male and female flower parts develop in sequence, and the flowers themselves are self-infertile. Two-to-three plants are recommended for a reliable fruiting.
Native plants can be grown outside of their native range in the appropriate growing conditions. This map shows the native range, as well as the introduced range, of this species.
Plant Shipping Rates: for plant orders up to $50 the shipping amount is $9.95. For plant orders from $50.01 and over, the shipping rate is 20% of the total plant cost.
Spring plant-shipping begins April 7, 2025. The last day to order plants for spring delivery is projected to be May 21, 2025
Fall plant-shipping begins on September 8, 2025. The last day to order your plants for fall shipment is projected to be September 28, 2025.
During checkout, you will be asked to choose a Shipping Week for your plant delivery, from the dates that are available. The week that you choose will be included in your order confirmation email. When your plants ship you will receive an email that includes your tracking information.
Northern Bush Honeysuckle is known to be fairly salt tolerant. It is often used near parking lots and such, for both its lower height and its ability to tolerate the salty conditions.
What size is this shrub when shipped?
Our potted shrubs are between 1' and 2' high when shipped. The root is well developed and the plants have established branching. This shrub is in a one gallon (or #1) container, which is approximately 7" deep x 6.5" wide at the top.
Should this shrub be planted in spring or fall?
This shrub can be successfully planted in either spring or fall. See Tips for Planting in Fall for more informtation about planting perennials (including shrubs) in the fall. You may also be interested in How to Plant Shrubs, in our Resource & Guides pages.
What is the growth rate of bush honeysuckle?
The growth rate of Northern Bush Honeysuckle is fast to moderate. Plants can grow about 1 – 2 feet a year. They quickly reach their mature height (only 3 – 4 feet) and will continue to spread laterally.
Is this shrub deer resistant?
This shrub is not deer resistant.
If you live in an area where deer are present, we recommend protecting any newly installed shrubs by surrounding them with a wire fencing cage, or a plastic netting to protect them from being browsed by deer and/or rabbits. Food sources can be scarce in the winter, and young shrubs are choice when when there are no tender perennials available. If you live in an urban area where there are no deer, you may have rabbits in your yard. Rabbits also browse young, newly planted shrubs when other plants are not available.
These shrubs are deer resistant: New Jersey Tea,Sweet Fern,Shrubby St. John's Wort,Carolina Rose,Purple Flowering Raspberry.
Is this shrub tolerant of Walnut juglone?
As far as we know, Northern Bush Honeysuckle is not juglone tolerant. We cannot recommend planting it under Black Walnut trees.
I have boxwood I am looking to replace with native shrubs. The area is mostly shaded but does partial sun in afternoon . My biggest concern is the size. These will be in the front of my home so , I would like to keep them on the smaller size, no more than 3 feet. ideally, I would like to keep them pruned in more of a round shape for a neater look. Seeing these form a hedge, I am not sure if that is a possibility. Could you please let me know if these can be kept smaller and shaped? Thanks
I think for your purposes and your location, Bush Honeysuckle is the best choice. If you want to prune to shape this shrub it takes a little bit more finessing than boxwood. You should be able to achieve a loosely rounded shape but not a really tight geometric shape. It can be full and bushy and you can easily keep the height below 4 feet. Diervilla lonicera blooms on the current season's (new) growth. That means you need to prune after flowering is finished. AFter the plants are finished flowering, you can prune back 25% - 30% of the total plant size. First, remove any dead, diseased, or broken branches prior to cutting back. Then focus on cutting back the top of the shrub and make sure not to remove more than one-third of the total mass --shape as needed.
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