Japanese Honeysuckle 'Halliana'

Japanese honeysuckle 'Halliana' (Lonicera japonica 'Halliana') turns an ordinary fence into a flowering, fragrant wall. The tubular two-lipped flowers open pure white and turn yellow within a few days, so the climber wears both colours at once, while the dark green foliage stays on the shoots through a mild winter.

Plant it to green up fences, pergolas and retaining walls fast, or as ground cover on a slope where little else holds on. The shoots reach 4-8 m long with a spread of 1-1.5 m. It flowers from June to October but, unlike the shrubby honeysuckles, it needs pruning to keep it in check.

Key characteristics:

• What makes it special: The flowers carry a thick, sweet scent that is strongest on a warm evening beside a fence the climber has covered.
• Dimensions: In 10 years the climber rises to 4-8 m with a width of 1-1.5 m.
• Hardiness: It overwinters confidently in the garden, taking frosts down to -34 °C (USDA zone 4).
• Flowering: From June to October white flowers open and gradually turn yellow.
• Light: It flowers most abundantly in full sun; partial shade suits it too, but the more shade, the more modest the flowering.
• Soil: It takes any garden soil easily - from dryish to moderately moist, as long as it is well-drained.
• Watering: Water moderately; the soil may dry out between waterings - the climber handles drought well.
• Care: In late winter cut the shoots back hard: this keeps the climber trim and stops dead growth building up underneath.
• Landscape use: Fences, pergolas and walls, and on slopes as ground cover: 2-3 plants per square metre.