Dwarf Honeysuckle
Lonicera xylosteum
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Sicilia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine
Robert Flogaus-Faust
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Caprifoliaceae
- Genus:
- Lonicera
- Species:
- Lonicera xylosteum
- USDA Symbol:
- LOXY
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 300 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun
- Bloom Colors:
- white, yellow
- Landscaping Shrub:
- Yes
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella, Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, bees
- Fragrant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 6.0 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- prefers calcareous soils in native habitat
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Warm then cold/moist stratification (double dormancy) — 60–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–180 days
- Notes:
- Seeds exhibit double dormancy requiring warm stratification followed by cold stratification. Germination can be erratic.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI