Diervilla sessilifolia Cool Splash

Diervilla sessilifolia Cool Splash is a variety of bush honeysuckle with sessile leaves, interesting for its pretty and variegated foliage of cream-white, its very fresh anise-yellow flowers, its modest growth and its non-suckering habit. This small deciduous shrub, which stays in place, has the advantage of enlivening shaded and somewhat difficult areas of the garden without requiring much care. It works wonders at the base of trees or as ground cover along a pathway. When grown in a pot, it will decorate a slightly shaded terrace.

Diervilla Cool Splash is a horticultural selection derived from Diervilla sessilifolia, a species native to the mountains of the southeastern United States. In nature, this shrub can be found on cliffs, along slopes, on riverbanks, and at the edge of woodlands. It belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family, just like honeysuckles.

The Cool Splash cultivar was selected in the USA. It has a bushy habit and does not sucker. Eventually, it will reach 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) in all directions. Its foliage is composed of ovate, elongated leaves with pointed, slightly wavy tips that are directly attached to the branches (without petioles). The young spring leaves have a bronze colour, with the anise-green and ivory variegation appearing quickly. The foliage retains this colour until autumn, before falling. Its flowering, appreciated by pollinating insects, occurs in June. Its pale yellow trumpet-shaped flowers tinged with green are gathered in small clusters and bloom on the previous year's wood. This Diervilla even blooms in shaded areas and in the roots of trees where it particularly thrives. Very cold-resistant, it also tolerates dry periods in summer.

With its small size, accommodating nature, and bright foliage, Diervilla Cool Splash is ideal for small gardens and difficult-to-vegetate spaces. It is an ideal choice for filling in a woodland, a north-facing facade, or the base of a hedge. It will also fit well in a rose garden or in combination with shrubs with coloured stems such as bloodtwig dogwoods, for example. In flower beds, combine it with perennials for shade without mixing too many colours: lungworts, periwinkles, dead nettles, Epimedium, etc.