How to Grow and Care for Northern Bush Honeysuckle

It has a variety of uses, ranging from woodland-area groundcover to small hedgerows.

The more light it receives, however, the more impressive the foliage color.

Soil

This shrub is known for coping well even in rocky, poor quality, infertile soils.

Sandy, loamy, and clay soils will all accommodate the northern bush honeysuckle, provided they are well-drained.

Northern bush honeysuckle is impressivelydrought-tolerant.

New plants, however, will appreciate moist soil conditions in the first year or so.

Mulching over the root zone is a good way to preserve soil moisture and keep soil temperatures favorable.

It thrives in dry woodland conditions with minimal humidity.

For mature northern bush honeysuckle, fertilization isn’t required.

There are no widely available named cultivars to consider.

However, there are two closelyrelated speciesin the genus that are also good landscape plants (See FAQ).

Pruning should be carried out after the shrub is finished flowering.

Hard browsing by deer is not a problem for this shrub; it just serves as natural pruning.

Any seeds collected or bought will need three months ofcold stratificationbefore planting.

This is often achieved by sowing the seeds outdoors in fall, allowing winter to provide the necessary cold.

Or, the seeds can be stored in the refrigerator over winter for spring planting.

Be aware, however, that these plants are self-sterile and require cross-pollination from another nearby plant.

No special treatment is required to prepare this shrub for winter.

This combination will keep the plant dense and confined.

While this can be momentarily disfiguring, it does no permanent harm to the shrub.

But that plant is an exotic species that is considered invasive over a large portion of the U.S.