Strongest scented Honeysuckle?

sweetmichelia

16 years ago

Which honeysuckle is the strongest wafting? Or strongly scented? Pictures are welcome, I live in Chino, CA

Featured Answer

MichaelL

16 years ago

Here we go. FIRST, yes, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is insanely invasive in the humid summer regions of the eastern U.S. It is NOT invasive in arid regions. Southern California is arid. But be aware that invasive and extremely vigorous are two different things. Japanese honeysuckle will not colonize wild areas if there isn't sufficient rainfall to support it. It will go nuts, however, usually by self-layering, in well watered gardens in any climate where winter cold does not kill it back. So go ahead, Sweetmichelia, and plant it, if you wish. Just watch the base of the plant for shoots that grow along the ground, and nip them out or tie them up into the main fabric of the plant. SECOND,(and more pertinent to your question) in arid areas, the woodbines (like Lonicera periclymenum) tend to waft better than Japanese honeysuckle, perhaps because many of them are native to Mediterranean climates where summers are dry and humidity is low. Italian honeysuckle, Lonicera etrusca, is one to look for if you are south of San Francisco. (I just Google Earthed Chino. You're safe!) Though hardy throughout most of California, it has begun to naturalize in costal northern areas. The periclymenum varieties may mildew badly if you are in a hot day, cool night area, but have the most amazing fragrance of all the vining honeysuckles, according to this nose. Now, about invasiveness. We need to remember, when we make recommendations, that local climates determine whether or not any given plant will escape and become a pest. Generally, the closer a region's climate resembles a plant's native climate, the more likely that plant is to "escape" and naturalise, and, potentially, become a pest, like kudzu, wisteria, and Japanese honeysuckle have in the southeastern states, especially since the natural "predators" that keep those plants checked aren't present. Oh dear...I fear my soap sail-box has drifted me off topic.....

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Comments (8)

User
16 years ago
The strongest scented honeysuckle is japanese honeysuckle.
This plant is extremely invasive and kills other plants and trees around it.
Please do not plant this honeysuckle.
If you want frangrance that is really strong try another vine.
There are really fragrant wisteria, which you might like.
Others will also give suggestions.
Don't plant japanese honeysuckle, no matter how tempting it is.
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mbuckmaster
16 years ago
In my opinion, Japanese honeysuckle really isn't worth the hassle of taking care of it...that outstanding fragrance only lasts as long as the blooms do, which is 3-4 weeks (I'd imagine less in an arid climate). And regardless of whether it's technically invasive or not in your area, the berries it produces can be eaten by birds and easily transported to another area where it may become so. So michaell's recommendation to plant it, while technically accurate, is still not really sound ecological advice.

There are lots of other varieties and cultivars of lonicera that are fragrant and have MUCH longer bloom times. My favorite here in NC is the native Lonicera heckrottii, 'Goldflame' honeysuckle. It blooms prolifically from March until December here, and attracts hummingbirds as a bonus. It's not nearly as fragrant as its invasive Japanese cousin, but I figure if you even out the bloom time with the fragrance, it evens out...9-10 months of fairly fragrant honeysuckle is better than 3-4 weeks of intensely fragrant honeysuckle in my book! There are lots of others too, some with interesting foliage and berries for the birds as well. Good luck to you!...and please don't be tempted to buy lonicera japonica.
sweetmichelia
Original Author
16 years ago
Thank you all for your facts and thoughts, I ended up planting Pink Jasmine... it's pretty, smells good and grows fast to cover a chain link fence. Thank you again
sweetmichelia
Original Author
16 years ago
found 2 honeysuckle plants onthe the half price table at Lowes... one purple leaf and the original japonica, they are growing great, if they get out of control I will keep trimming it, I love the smell of honeysuckle.
mbuckmaster
16 years ago
"If" they get out of control....ha! Invest in the highest quality pruning shears you can find, because you'll be using them constantly. Or save and buy some Roundup now--much cheaper in the long run.
mike519
16 years ago
To All,

Watch for the black berrys. Pick them before birds scatter them. One positive aspect? is that local deer browse the L.japonica foliage during winter, reducing damage to choicer things.

If your climate allows them, Etruscan Honeysuckle and Shakespeares English Woodbine are two more choices for fragrant vining Loniceras.

Shrubby Lonicera fragrantissima has a great lemony scent on warm winter days, unfortunately it is another extremely weedy species. Good news is that its hybrid 'Purpusii',which smells just as good, rarely produces berries here and in 30 years there have been no seedlings from them here.

Mike519
User
16 years ago
By the way, Round up doesn't kill Japanese honeysuckle.
I tried, believe me I tried. I choped, I sprayed, I cut it out of the bushes and trees it was smothering, and still it came back with a vengence.
This was when I lived in PA.
I moved.
I don't have it here, and never will.
Enough said.