Lonicera fragrantissima

Lonicera fragrantissima is a unique honeysuckle – shrubby rather than climbing, blooming in the heart of winter, producing a joyous fragrance somewhere between jasmine and lemon.

The tiny leaves are glossy, ovate and dark green, reminiscent of the leaves of some boxwoods, hence the common name.

The foliage is very dense and elegant and somewhat more upright than Lonicera ligustrina, making it receptive to pruning and shaping.

It can shift into the purple palettes in the winter, tinting slightly on the edges.

The flowers bloom in the middle of winter and are creamy white and wonderfully fragrant, with a hint of a “lemony” scent.

As the flowers are very nectar-rich, they provide an important food source for bees at a time of year when flowers are scarce.

These are followed by red berries that mature in the fall.

It is fully hardy and very tolerant of soil conditions, whether slightly acidic, neutral, or even tending toward alkaline.

👨‍🌾 GARDENING TIPS👨‍🌾:

• • These plants prefer an easy beginning – soil that is humusy, organically rich with medium moisture in part shade. Adapting them generally to dried and more difficult conditions as years go on.
  • 🕶️ It copes quite well with very dry summers if planted in partial shade, under a deciduous tree for instance. However, it dislikes heavy, waterlogged soils in winter.
  • 💦 Plants have some drought tolerance once established.
  • ✂️ Prune as needed immediately after flowering.

• Continue learning about Honeysuckle:

  • >> The Winter Scent (In English)

  • >> Jardiner en Hiver (In French)

The Tales & The Botany:

It was brought to the Western world by Scottish plant hunter Robert Fortune, who was plant hunting in China for the Royal Horticultural Society in 1845.

Fragrantissima means – well it means that it smells incredible. And even the botanists had to agree.

🌸 Floral morphology

Lonicera fragrantissima produces small, tubular, axillary flowers typically arranged in pairs along the stems.

The flowers are cream-white to pale yellow, 1–2 cm long, and strongly fragrant, emitting a complex scent dominated by monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Each flower is actinomorphic and hermaphroditic, with five fused sepals, five fused petals forming a tubular corolla, five stamens inserted on the corolla, and a superior bicarpellate ovary. Flowering occurs in late winter to early spring, often before leaf expansion, making it one of the earliest nectar sources for pollinators. The plant exhibits protandry, where male organs mature before female organs, promoting cross-pollination.

🧬 Reproductive biology

Flowers are primarily insect-pollinated, attracting bees, flies, and early-season butterflies. Fruit is a small, globose red berry containing several seeds, although seed set can be low outside its native range.

L. fragrantissima can be propagated via semi-hardwood cuttings or layering, with first flowering usually occurring 2–3 years after propagation. The species demonstrates chilling-dependent floral initiation, an adaptation to temperate climates.

🦋 Ecology & cultivation

Winter honeysuckle thrives in well-drained soils of moderate fertility and tolerates a wide pH range (5.5–8). It grows best in full sun to partial shade and is hardy to –15 °C. The plant provides early-season nectar for pollinators, adds winter fragrance and visual interest to gardens, and can be used in hedges, borders, or as a specimen shrub. Light pruning after flowering maintains a compact form and encourages subsequent flowering.