Shrubby Honeysuckle Hedge (Lonicera Nitida)

Lonicera nitida Hedge Plants Description

Lonicera nitida, commonly known as shrubby or evergreen honeysuckle, is a fast-growing, hardy evergreen hedge plant, ideal for creating medium-height hedges up to about 3 metres. With its small, densely packed leaves on long stems, it forms a very dense hedge, making it a popular choice for a neat, formal appearance. This plant is easy to trim and tolerates regular clipping well. In spring, Lonicera nitida may produce small, scented off-white flowers, followed by purple-blue berries in autumn, especially after a good summer. Also known as Box Honeysuckle or Wilson's Honeysuckle, this plant is common in hedging, even though many people may not recognise its name.

Lonicera nitida is excellent for creating topiary shapes due to its fast growth, small leaves, and flexible stems. For general hedge maintenance, it is best trimmed twice a year: once in early summer during its peak growing phase and again in autumn for a tidy look throughout winter.

This versatile shrub is suitable for sunny or partially shaded positions and can tolerate occasional deeper shade. It thrives in most soil types, except overly wet soils, but is not well-suited to very windy sites or exposed seaside gardens. Despite challenging planting conditions, we offer a wide selection of hedging plants suitable for shade and exposed sites, as well as our complete range of evergreen hedging for year-round interest.

Lonicera nitida is a popular alternative to Box hedging due to its adaptability to various shapes and resistance to diseases such as Box blight. For more options, see our dedicated section on Box Hedging Alternatives.

We offer Lonicera nitida as cell-grown, pot-grown, and instant hedging plants available year-round, with bare-root plants available from November to late April or early May.

The attractive green foliage of Lonicera nitida complements and enhances the colours of other plants, making it a perfect companion for planting schemes. Explore our extensive range of hedging with colourful foliage for ideas on companion planting with Lonicera.

Pruning Advice

Lonicera nitida (Box Honeysuckle) grows rapidly, but it is exceptionally easy to clip and can withstand frequent trimming without harming the plant. To maintain the hedge at a desired shape and height, regular clipping throughout the growing season is necessary.

If left untrimmed, the plant will produce long shoots that tend to arch and flop as they grow taller and longer. However, due to its small leaves and delicate stems, cutting it back from this stage is a straightforward task.

Lonicera nitida is an excellent choice for topiary, thanks to its dense foliage and small leaves. It is remarkably easy to shape into various forms. Unlike Box, Lonicera nitida's fast growth means that any over-trimming can be quickly rectified, allowing you to perfect the desired shape. Its rapid growth also enables the creation of larger topiary shapes more swiftly, adding an impressive feature to your garden.

Further Information

Recommended planting densities for pot-grown plants are shown, but this is largely a matter of personal preference, and you can adjust the density depending on your level of patience. Cell-grown plants are typically planted at 4 per metre in a single row or 6 per metre in a double staggered row.

Delivery & Returns

Free delivery is available on most orders (except Premium Products) providing they meet the minimum spend criteria for the size of box or pallet. Pallet deliveries and large box deliveries for tall plants are indicated by icons on the product table listings. Delivery costs and minimum order details for each packaging type are as follows:

* Standard Sized Boxes (Bare root up to 1.2m tall & pots up to 7.5L) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £3250 | or £39.98 charge.

* Tall Sized Boxes (Bare roots 1.2m & over) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £3250 | or £324.99 charge.

* Pallets (Root balls, large pots 10L+, trees etc | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £3350 | or £382 charge.

* Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £31500 | or £3450 charge.