Lonicera pileata - Box Honeysuckle

Lonicera pileata, also known as Box-leaved Honeysuckle, is a vigorous shrub with a low thicket-like appearance, very hardy, and more or less evergreen in winter. Its discreet spring flowering gives way to violet pearl-shaped attractive berries.  Perfectly hardy and undemanding, it is a sturdy and aesthetically pleasing plant for use as ground cover under trees, in rockeries, on slopes, along pathways, or in neglected and hard-to-reach areas. As it responds very well to pruning, its growth is easy to control.

Native to the rather humid areas of western and central China, Lonicera pileata is a very hardy shrub that prefers rather moist soil. Like all honeysuckles, it belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. Its growth is quite rapid, with the plant reaching a height of between 60 cm (23.6 in) and 1 m (3 ft 4 in), with a spread of about 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in), or even more depending on the growing conditions.

The Box-leaved Honeysuckle has a spreading, slightly creeping, bushy, and very dense habit. Its brown branches have leaves even in winter, unless it is very cold. Arranged in an opposite manner on the stems, they are small and tough, oval, dark olive green, glossy, and measure 1.3 cm (0.5 in) in length. The tiny creamy white tubular flowers, are insignificant but slightly fragrant, and appear in spring, in pairs, nestled in the axils of the leaves. They are visited by bees. After pollination, small violet fruits form, truly decorative, ripening in late summer or autumn. They are toxic to humans but appreciated by birds. This fruit will of course be compromised by severe pruning.

The Box Honeysuckle tolerates many growing conditions, except arid situations, and is very versatile.  Primarily a foliage plant, it will be very useful to create large areas of groundcover, for the stabilization of slightly unattractive slopes, bordering a path, or in large rock gardens. It will thrive even in the shade of a woodland, as long as the soil does not dry out too much in summer. You can plant it on a slope or in a large rock garden with other groundcover plants such as low-growing roses (Rosa grouse The Fairy, or Little White Pet), St. John's wort, golden Lonicera nitida, creeping Euonymus fortunei , or creeping Cotoneasters.