Northern Bush Honeysuckle

Northern Bush Honeysuckle is a resilient, adaptable deciduous shrub that performs beautifully in conditions where many plants struggle, especially dry, shady sites. Though not a true honeysuckle, its tubular, yellow flowers resemble honeysuckle blooms and appear from early summer through mid-fall, providing a consistent nectar source for bumble bees and other long-tongued pollinators.

This suckering shrub typically grows 3 to 4 feet tall and spreads gradually to form low thickets, making it excellent for erosion control, slopes, or naturalistic borders. It forms a tidy, mounded shape with arching stems and pairs well with woodland edge species or as part of a low hedge. Its bronze-tinged new growth and green summer foliage give way to fiery shades of orange and red in fall, adding multi-season visual interest.

An important nectar source for native bees, Northern Bush Honeysuckle is especially attractive to bumble bee queens during their summer foraging. The shrub is also tolerant of drought, deer, and urban conditions.

• Minimal maintenance required; prune in late winter to shape or rejuvenate.
• Allow suckering if you'd like it to form a colony, or remove to contain spread.
• Adaptable to a range of soils, including poor or rocky soils.
• Excellent for mass planting in tough spots like dry shade or sloped ground.
• Tolerates drought once established, but occasional watering in extreme dry periods improves vigor.