Lonicera x purpusii

As you walk from the Pavilions to the Fountain at the end of the Broadwalk, you will see on the left-hand corner an attractive deciduous, and occasionally semi evergreen shrub. This is Lonicera x purpusii, a hybrid between Lonicera fragrantissima and Lonicera standishii with the quality excelling both its parents. It is more vigorous as well as freer flowering, and will start up in every mild spell until spring, flowering reliably between late December and March.

The flowers are carried in pairs, quite small, white with a heavy heady scent unmissable as you pass by, with stamens glistening white, and anthers bright yellow, along with fat green buds waiting to open. Its prominent position in the Gardens is well-deserved, providing winter cheer. The powerful sweet fragrance is not only attractive to us but also to bees, especially bumblebees venturing out on milder sunny winter days. If you have this plant in your garden a few sprigs are as many as you need in an ordinary sized room.  

It makes a bushy free-standing multi-stemmed shrub with arching branches, up to 2.5m or so in height and similar in spread. It is tolerant of most soils as long as they are moist and well- draining. It will do well in sun and part-shade in most aspects and is extremely hardy, rated RHS 6 (withstanding temperatures of -15 to -20C).

 Any pruning should be carried out in late spring after flowering, removing older and weak wood cut back to the base to encourage new flowering stems to form, however this should be done judiciously so as to retain the arching habit of the plant.

A variety of Lonicera x purpusii widely available is ‘Winter Beauty’ AGM, raised at the Hillier Nurseries, by Alf Alford, and selected from a backcross of L. × purpusii with L. standishii in 1966. It has darker purple flowering stems.