Fly Honeysuckle
Lonicera xylosteum
Also listed as Caprifolium dumetorum, Caprifolium segreziense
Also known as European Fly Honeysuckle
Climate Match for your location
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Fly Honeysuckle is a deciduous shrub with small, fragrant white to pale pink flowers in spring followed by red berries. It's a hardy, low-maintenance plant suitable for hedges, borders, and wildlife gardens.
Why grow it
Fly Honeysuckle is a hardy, deciduous shrub that tolerates poor soils and shade better than many ornamental alternatives, making it useful for difficult sites where other species struggle. Its spring flowers and subsequent red berries provide season-long visual interest and food for wildlife. Compared to the more commonly cultivated Tatarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), Fly Honeysuckle is slower-growing and somewhat more restrained, though both are vigorous shrubs suitable for hedging and naturalized plantings in temperate climates.
Watch out for
This species can self-seed prolifically under favorable conditions, so deadheading or monitoring seedling establishment may be necessary if containment is a goal. It responds well to hard pruning but can become leggy if left unpruned for several years. In areas with warm, moist summers, spider mites and scale insects occasionally affect foliage quality.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Caprifoliaceae
Native Range
Central and Eastern Europe
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Shrub
Woody multi-stem plants at eye level.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Fly Honeysuckle is a deciduous shrub with small, fragrant white to pale pink flowers in spring followed by red berries. It's a hardy, low-maintenance plant suitable for hedges, borders, and wildlife gardens.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Fly Honeysuckle grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Fly Honeysuckle is a hardy, deciduous shrub that tolerates poor soils and shade better than many ornamental alternatives, making it useful for difficult sites where other species struggle. Its spring flowers and subsequent red berries provide season-long visual interest and food for wildlife. Compared to the more commonly cultivated Tatarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica), Fly Honeysuckle is slower-growing and somewhat more restrained, though both are vigorous shrubs suitable for hedging and naturalized plantings in temperate climates.
Watch out for
This species can self-seed prolifically under favorable conditions, so deadheading or monitoring seedling establishment may be necessary if containment is a goal. It responds well to hard pruning but can become leggy if left unpruned for several years. In areas with warm, moist summers, spider mites and scale insects occasionally affect foliage quality.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Caprifoliaceae
Native Range
Central and Eastern Europe
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Shrub
Woody multi-stem plants at eye level.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
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