Lonicera nitida 'Chalons' SCOOP

Lonicera is a large and variable genus consisting of small, ground-covering plants as well as mid-sized shrubs, and even tall climbers. Most of them bear fragrant flowers, many of them are evergreen, and some produce edible fruit. The genus was named in honour of German botanist Adam Lonitzer (1528-1586), a physician and a professor of mathematics and medicine at the University of Marburg, but most significantly a keen and enthusiastic botanist. He married a daughter of his publisher who published all of his works until his death in 1555 when Adam took over and continued to focus on botany and writing and publishing more books until 1577.

Lonicera's common name is honeysuckle, possibly due to its fragrant, nectar-rich flowers which attract bees for production of honey. Box honeysuckle is a small evergreen shrub whose leaves resemble those of buxus (English box). It commonly grows about one meter or a little over tall, and is used as a groudcovering plant or a filler. It is also a good box substitute now that they are disappearing owing to the box tree moth.

SCOOP is a French box honeysuckle variety, an improvement of Panmin. It bears millions of very small (less than 1 cm in length), deep green, and highly glossy leaves along the whole length of the purple red twigs. Growth is mostly upright (not prostrate as in case of most other evergreen honeysuckle species), and the plant responds well to pruning by growing even denser. In late spring may appear small, creamy white to pale yellow flowers that may be followed by small berries (non toxic).

SCOOP honeysuckle grows quite fast and can be grown as a low border or hedge, or clipped like box, or made a small specimen pot plant of any shape your heart desires. In acid soil the foliage will be dark green but in neutral or lime-based ground the leaves will turn light green or even yellow green. The variety was bred and registered in 2018 by Pierre de Prémare from the Guillot Bourne II Nursery which was the first in France to be certified an organic producer in 2017.

Box honeysuckle is very easy to grow as it easily adapts to most soil types apart from water-logged. It may only be slow to establish in heavy, compacted ground where it will be prone to winter sunscorch. Its branches are flexible and do not suffer from breaking under heavy snow unlike twigs of box plants. They easily root as soon as they touch the ground and should be removed unless you are growing it as a space filler where spreading is expected. It will grow in sun or shade, and can be pruned almost at any time, preferably in early spring for denser branching, or trimmed once or twice during the growing season, latest by early September. It is fully hardy to -24°C (USDA zone 6).

Last update 26-11-2019