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Lonicera nitida E.H. Wilson, Wilson's Honeysuckle

Account Summary

Garden introduction, neophyte, occasional. Native of China.

16 August 1990; Northridge, R.H.; Aghalane, NW of Belturbet.

Throughout the year.

Growth form, origin and preferred habitats

This small-leaved (6-14 mm), glossy evergreen Chinese shrub with leaves closely packed together, previously widely planted for garden hedges but now rather unfashionable and superseded for this screening purpose, is probably not recognised by many passers-by as being a close relative of the familiar twining, climbing, sweetly-scented, woody Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), since it differs so plainly, starkly and fundamentally in form from the latter. Evergreen, and although small-leaved, very leafy, the leaves opposite, simple and entire, the shrub grows vigorously, withstands clipping well, and can remarkably quickly establish a reasonably thick, sturdy hedge and barrier up to around 2-3.5 m tall (Anonymous 1981a).

Apart from its presence in deliberately planted garden hedging, or more recently appearances as a preferred species in game coverts since it requires less management attention than the more traditional species for that purpose, Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), L. nitida occurs self-sown (probably very rarely) or discarded (all too frequently), in hedgebanks, scrub, grassy roadside banks, disused quarries and waste ground throughout the lowlands (Gilbert 1995; Stace & Crawley 2015). It is rarely found far from habitation, either past or present.

L. nitida was introduced to western gardens in 1908 from Yunnan and West Sichuan in SW China, where it grew native in scrub and along streams at altitudes of 1,200-3,000 m. The plant is hardy to -15oC, which again favours its use as garden hedging (Phillips & Rix 1989). It was discovered and imported by Ernest 'Chinese' Wilson, the famous Edwardian plant collector, but since it was just one of 13 species of this genus that he collected in China and introduced to cultivation, the English common name, 'Wilson's Honeysuckle', is somewhat misapplied (Briggs 1993).

Apart from being very hardy, the shrub is undemanding and very tolerant of different soil types, although like all garden plants, it does best in full sun in well-drained, fertile soil. L. nitida is more tolerant of shade than other Lonicera species and, once established as a hedge, is very tolerant of both drought and urban pollution.

When clipped as a hedge the plant very rarely manages to flower, let alone fruit and set seed, but if neglected or discarded, it may flower and reproduce, although the rarity of such observations suggests it probably only manages to do this to a very limited extent.

Hedge plant maintenance and vegetative propagation

When planted as a garden hedge, rather than as game coverts, or as a specimen bush, regular clipping of L. nitida is essential to keep the hedge top narrow, since otherwise wind and snow have a tendency to break it apart. Cuttings root very easily when just pushed into the ground in the desired position (Anonymous 1981a); indeed they root and establish almost without fail.

Flowering reproduction

Flowering takes place early, in April and May. The flowers are small, only 5.0-6.5 mm in diameter, rather unremarkable in appearance, cream to white in colour and borne sessile in pairs in the axils of the opposite leaves. The flower calyx is green, sometimes violet-purple, with five shallow, obtuse lobes above. The corolla, 5.5-6.0 mm, is creamy green, regular, tubular, swollen slightly at the base (gibbous), 5-lobed above, glandular on the outside, with very short, eglandular hairs inside. The five stamens are inserted near the middle of the corolla, anthers pale yellow and exerted. The style is solitary, greenish, the capitate stigma positioned shorter than (ie below) the anthers (Sell & Murrell 2006). The flowers are said to be scented, but the current author (RSF) has not located any specific information regarding nectar or pollinators. However, if it follows the pattern of other Lonicera species, it probably attracts hawk-moths and perhaps some types of bees, eg humble-bees (Clapham et al. 1987). The fleshy fruits are paired, each one a several-seeded, globose, shiny purple-black, transparent berry, 4-7 mm in diameter (Griffiths 1994).

Flowers are rarely seen, but nevertheless, even if seed reproduction is only occasionally successful, it provides the origin of rather rare bird-sown plants in sites further removed from habitation, sometimes indeed in quite remote situations. The current author (RSF) has not located any specific information on birds feeding on L. nitida. Whether the species disperses and escapes cultivation vegetatively by means of discarded hedge cuttings that root remarkably easily, or by seed, the plant is very definitely persistent once it becomes established in 'wild', usually lowland, countryside situations (Reynolds 2002; McNeill 2010).

Variation

Nine cultivars are listed in the Royal Horticultural Society's Index of garden plants (Griffiths 1994).

Fermanagh occurrence

As the tetrad map indicates very clearly, L. nitida is very widely scattered across the whole of lowland Fermanagh and has been recorded in 130 tetrads, 24.6% of those in the VC.

British and Irish occurrence

Records are known from 19 Irish VCs (Cat Alien Pl Ir) and the New Atlas indicates it is most prevalent in the N and S of the island, but absent or less frequent in the W and E, especially in coastal regions.

In Britain, the plant's presence has a definite SW tendency, although it is also well represented in N Wales and in E Anglia. In Scotland, apart from the two major conurbations, it extends northwards to an outlier in East Ross above Inverness (New Atlas). It is an established garden escape that is self-sown in woodland, hedgerows and scrub in scattered localities, and it is long-persistent in derelict gardens, hedges and old churchyards (Clement & Foster 1994).

Names

The genus name 'Lonicera' is named in memory of Adam Lonitzer (or Lonicer) (1528-86), a German physician and botanical author of a famous herbal (Kreuterbuch) many times reprinted between 1557 and 1783 (Johnson & Smith 1946; Gilbert-Carter 1964; Stearn 1992). The Latin specific epithet 'nitida' is from the Latin 'nitidus', meaning 'shining', 'glittering', or 'with a glossy surface' (Gilbert-Carter 1964; Gledhill 1985).

Threats

None.

References

Briggs, R.W. (1993); Reynolds, S.C.P. (2002); Preston, C.D., Pearman, D.A. and Dines, T.D. (2002); Clement & Foster 1994; Anonymous 1981a; McNeill 2010;
Clapham et al. 1987; Phillips & Rix 1989; Sell & Murrell 2006; Gilbert 1995; Stace & Crawley 2015; Johnson & Smith 1946; Gilbert-Carter 1964; Stearn 1992; Gledhill 1985; Griffiths 1994.