Amur Honeysuckle Seeds 25 Count Lonicera Maackii The Amur Honeysuckle is a dense and spreading bush honeysuckle. Dark green leaves with purple underleaf and white to yellow flowers. Juicy red fruit attracts birds. Extremely fragrant after sundown. An erect shrub that is multistemmed and has an arching habit. Commonly used for large informal hedges or screens or to attract wildlife to a landscaped yard. When choosing a location, keep in mind that the Amur Honeysuckle has a rapid growth rate. It grows up to 15 feet in height and 15 feet in spread. It can be planted in zones 3 to 8. Prefers full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Will tolerate heat, drought, shade and heavy pruning. Characteristics: * Leaves opposite, ovate, elliptic to lance-shaped, dark green above and lighter beneath, with non-rounded bases, 2-3. * Flowers white to yellow, 1"". * Fruits red, shiny, translucent berries, 1/4"". * Height: To 12'. Natural History: * Flowers May - June. * Fruits in October. * Habitat: Shrub borders, meadows, waste places. * Range: Eastern United States. * Introduced from Manchuria and Korea in the mid-nineteenth century. Connections! * Birds love the brilliant red berries of the Amur honeysuckle; they carry the seeds and disperse them in hedges, borders, and waste places, where the shrub quickly takes over. Many insects feed on the nectar of the flowers. The seeds can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed plastic bag for up to one year. Growing Your Honeysuckle Plants: Honeysuckle prefers full sun, but will tolerate partial sun, and even some light, afternoon shade. Once established, Honeysuckle needs only moderate watering, unless the summer is very dry. If the planting area is properly prepared and mulched, your Honeysuckle will be satisfied with a light annual application of a balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) at the beginning of the growing season, and then once again in the middle of the blooming season. They are usually sold in 1-gal. containers beginning in early spring. Honeysuckle should be planted in early spring, as soon as frost danger has passed. Prepare the planting area as for any perennial and set the plants a minimum of two to three apart. (2 feet if you are using them as a ground cover) Water the plants thoroughly, and follow up with repeated soakings until the plant shows signs of new growth. Mulch the plant with heavy cover of leaves, to protect the roots from freezing as well as to conserve moisture in the summer. When your plant has finished blooming, you can prune for shape. (Only lightly prune plants until they are well established at about 2 years old) If your Honeysuckle is to be grown on a trellis or an arbor, put it in place before planting, to avoid damaging your vine. Then plant your Honeysuckle 6-12 in. away from the support to allow enough growing room for developing stems. The vines should be tied to their support using strong, stretchy materials that won't cut into growing branches. Strips of old nylon hosiery work very well for this. Loop each tie into a figure 8, with the crossed portion between the stem and the support to keep stems from rubbing or being choked. ""
