Lonicera ligustrina subsp. yunnanensis

Lonicera ligustrina subsp. yunnanensis is a dense, spreading, evergreen shrub that produces a haze of cream colored fragrant flowers in spring.

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 late spring and are creamy white and wonderfully fragrant. These are followed by purple black berries that mature in the fall.

👨‍🌾 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.
  • 🕶️ In hot summer climates, plants typically perform best in part shade.
  • 💦 Plants have some drought tolerance once established.
  • ✂️ Prune as needed immediately after flowering. .

The Tale:

Subsp. yunnanensis means of Yunnan, China- a reference to its native habitat.

Genus name honors Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586), a German botanist who wrote an herbal (Kreuterbuch) that was very popular in the 16th, 17th and even 18th centuries.

The specific epithet means privet-like (Ligustrum).

It is also known sometimes as Lonicera nitida.