Leycesteria
Himalayan honeysuckle
- Height × spread
- 1.5m – 2m × 1.5m – 2m
- Position
- Full sun
Availability
Please ask in store about availability
Many plants are seasonal. Call 01234 567890 to check current stock.
About this plant
Though they are often overlooked, Leycesteria provide a long season of interest as well as a pleasing growth habit. The Leycesteria formosa forms are best known. These make a shrub some two metres high with largely upright and arching branches. The leaves are elegant with long slender points. The small white flowers are carried in drooping panicles and are succeeded by red berries, so the plant remains a feature all through summer and into autumn. Purple and golden foliage forms are available. The lesser known Leycesteria crocothyrsus has noticeable yellow flowers and less noticeable green fruit; it is only suited to areas with a mild climate. Leycesteria can be damaged, or suffer die-back during winter. They benefit from a spring prune, both to maintain dimensions and restore beauty, other than that they are very low maintenance. They are tolerant of most garden conditions.
- Flower colour
- Purple, Red
- Foliage colour
- Green, Yellow
- Fruit colour
- Purple, Red
- Variegated
- No
- Scent
- Yes, some varieties
- Shape
- Fan
- Height
- 1.5m – 2m
- Spread
- 1.5m – 2m
- Season of interest
- Summer, Autumn, Winter
- Evergreen
- Evergreen
- Garden style
- Winter garden, Seaside garden, Scented garden, Gravel garden, Cottage garden
- Sun or shade
- Likes full sun, tolerates part shade, tolerates light shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam (normal)
- Soil pH
- All types
- Drainage
- Moisture retentive soil, Well drained soil
- Winter hardiness
- Varies, some are not hardy
- Borders & containers
- Borders
- Use for
- Structural, Coloured stems, Architectural, Bird attraction
- Maintenance
- Easycare – low/no maintenance
- Hazards
- No
AutumnNow
Autumn - late · Outdoors
Apply mulch
Spread organic material around the plant being careful not to bury its crown, or to put the mulch above the point at which the plant has been grafted in the case of trees.
A mulch is a covering that can: protect the soil surface from rain, heat and cold; deter weeds; provide nutrients. Organic indicates that material has vegetative origin e.g. manure, compost. Synthetics i.e. plastics, or stones are often called mulches.
Spring
Spring-Autumn · Outdoors
Water to keep the soil moist
For best results, this plant needs soil that is always moist. Water deeply and regularly as soon as soil appears dry. Even for established plants in the ground, a dry week can cause problems with some soils. Check plants in pots more often, especially in hot weather. Or install an automatic irrigation system which will do the hard work for you, even when you are away on holiday.
Without regular watering some plants never fully regain their beauty.
Planting & general
Planting
Prune lightly after flowering
After the plant has flowered, shorten all the stems that have flowered by cutting the shoots back to lower healthy buds.
Found in
More Leycesteria
Leycesteria formosa
Himalayan honeysuckle, Pheasant berry, Flowering nutmeg
Leycesteria formosa Golden Lanterns = 'Notbruce'
Himalayan honeysuckle, Pheasant berry, Flowering nutmeg
Leycesteria 'Longstock'
Leycesteria formosa 'Little Lanterns'
Himalayan honeysuckle
Leycesteria formosa 'Purple Rain'
Himalayan honeysuckle, Pheasant berry