Lonicera nitida Tidy Tips - Box Honeysuckle

Lonicera nitida Tidy Tips is a recent variety of Box-leaved Honeysuckle, which stands out for its tiny evergreen leaves and particularly dense bushy habit, in the shape of a ball. Easy to grow, always green and with a fine texture, it tolerates repeated pruning.  This shrub is particularly interesting for creating hedges or topiary.  It offers an interesting alternative to Boxwood as its growth is fast and it is not very susceptible to diseases.

Lonicera Tidy Tips belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. It is native to the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan. This shrub is very easy to grow and quite hardy. It reaches an average size of 1.2 meters (3 feet 11 inches) in all directions if regularly pruned, but can grow over 2.5 meters (8 feet 2 inches) if left to grow freely. Its growth is fast, but it develops slower than its parent Lonicera nitida and usually requires pruning only once per year, depending on the growing conditions. This shrub honeysuckle Tidy Tips has a naturally dense and bushy habit, carried by thin and slightly arching branches. Its tiny and tough leaves are shiny medium green. If not excessively pruned, it produces small, inconspicuous white-cream flowers in spring. The small purple fruits, toxic but enjoyed by birds, are rarely seen and only develop if the plant is not pruned.

Lonicera nitida Tidy Tips perfectly tolerates limestone soils, it is hardy and prefers partial shade or light sun. Primarily a foliage plant, the Box-leaved Honeysuckle can withstand severe pruning which should be done just after winter or after flowering. Allow 50 cm (19.7 in) between plants for subjects planted in hedges. This shrub is resistant to air pollution and also tolerates moderate drought once established. It can be used to create low hedges or beautiful plant sculptures, trimmed into balls or pyramid shapes, both in the ground and in pots. This Box-leaved Honeysuckle can also be allowed to grow freely in woodland areas and can be trained against a trellis.