Lonicera Maygreen 10L

Description

Lonicera nitida ‘Maygreen’ – box-leaved honeysuckle

Botanical name: Lonicera nitida ‘Maygreen’
Common names: Box-leaved honeysuckle, shrubby honeysuckle
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Plant type: Evergreen shrub for hedging
Habit: Dense, bushy, twiggy
Pot size: 10 litre pot
Eventual size: Up to about 1.5m tall if unpruned; readily kept lower as a hedge; fast growth
Foliage: Tiny, glossy, bright green leaves densely packed on arching stems; evergreen
Flowers: Insignificant small creamy flowers; grown for its foliage and as a hedge
Scent: Not notably scented
Aspect / light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Most soils; well-drained; tolerant; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H5 (hardy, to about −15°C); USDA zones 7–9
Exposure: Sheltered or exposed; very tolerant
Native range: Species native to China
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Low toxicity; the berries, if produced, may cause mild stomach upset if eaten

Lonicera nitida ‘Maygreen’ is a dense, small-leaved evergreen with tiny glossy bright green leaves, superb for hedging, topiary and edging. Fast, tough and clipping neatly, it makes an excellent alternative to box.

GardenAdvice notes

A dense, fine-textured evergreen shrub with tiny glossy leaves, box-leaved honeysuckle is one of the best alternatives to box (Buxus) for low hedging, topiary and edging — especially valuable now that box suffers from blight and box moth. Fast-growing, tough and adaptable, it clips into crisp shapes and neat low hedges, and ‘Maygreen’ has particularly bright, fresh green foliage.

Growing & planting

Plant in autumn or spring in most well-drained soils in full sun to partial shade — it is very tolerant and adaptable. For a hedge, space plants about 30cm apart. Water well while establishing. It grows quickly, so is fast to make a hedge or topiary shape.

Care & maintenance

Trim two or three times through the growing season to keep a crisp, dense hedge or topiary shape — it is fast-growing and responds well to regular clipping, and can be cut back hard to renovate. Feed and mulch in spring. Being vigorous, it does need regular clipping to stay neat.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings — it roots very easily.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free and much more resilient than box, being unaffected by box blight and box moth. Aphids can occasionally occur. A tough, reliable hedging plant.

Uses in the garden

Excellent as a low, clipped evergreen hedge, for topiary, knot gardens and formal edging, and as a robust, blight-free alternative to box in sun or partial shade.

Wildlife value

The dense, twiggy evergreen growth provides valuable shelter and nesting sites for small birds.

Toxicity & safety

Box-leaved honeysuckle has a low level of toxicity: any berries produced may cause mild stomach upset if eaten.

GardenAdvice tip

‘Maygreen’ is one of the best box substitutes going — fast, tough, small-leaved and, crucially, immune to the box blight and box moth that have devastated so many box hedges. It does grow faster than box, so it needs clipping two or three times a season to stay crisp, but that’s a small price for a healthy, reliable low hedge or topiary.

Our plants are guaranteed for 24 months for more details Click Here