Lonicera Nitida

Boxleaf Honeysuckle

Lonicera nitida (Box Honeysuckle / Boxleaf Honeysuckle) is a dense, evergreen to semi-evergreen shrub with a fine-textured, arching to mounded habit. It features very small, glossy dark green leaves on slender stems, giving it a boxwood-like appearance and making it useful for hedging, edging, and topiary. Tiny creamy-white flowers appear in spring and may be followed by sparse blue-purple berries. It is native to western China and is still widely sold as Lonicera nitida, though some authorities now treat it as Lonicera ligustrina var. yunnanensis. 

Type: Shrub (Evergreen to Semi-evergreen)
Mature Size: 4–6' W × 4–5' H
USDA Zones: 6a–9b
Form: Dense, mounded to arching

Light: Full sun to part shade
Soil / Water: Well-drained, adaptable soils; moderate water, tolerates some drought once established
Bloom Time / Length: Spring; short and not especially showy

Wildlife: Bees; birds may use the shrub for cover and may eat the berries when present 

Features & Landscape Uses:
Excellent for low hedges, edging, topiary, mass plantings, and foundation use. Its fine texture and dense growth make it a useful substitute for boxwood in some situations, especially where a fast-growing clipped shrub is needed. 

Care:
Prune as needed to maintain shape; it responds very well to clipping. Plant in well-drained soil and avoid chronically wet sites. Best density usually develops in sun to light shade. 

Plant type

Evergreen Shrub

Height

4-5'

Width

4-6'

Hardiness zones

6–9

Sunlight

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Growth rate

Fast

Bloom time

Summer

Flower color

White

Leaf color

Dark Green

Fall color

Dark Green

Attracts

Bees, Birds

Soil

Highly Adaptable, Well Drained

Landscape use

Border, Hedge, Mass Planting

Shape

Arching, Dense, Mounded

Fragrant

Yes

Drought tolerant

No