What is Leycesteria?

leycesteria formosa is a scientific name for the Himalayan honeysuckle. It is the only family of the plant in the family caprifoliaceae . Other plants that share the honeysuckle with the common name are also part of the Caprifoliaceae family, but they are in the large family of lonicera plants. The Himalayan Fincl is a flowering shrub originating from Himalayas and East Asia. In its natural habitat, leycesteria grows in shaded forests and shrubbery near streams and cords of the river. The seeds are scattered with water and birds and animals that feed on mature fruit. In areas where it is introduced, the Himalayan honeysuckle can be highly invasive. Individual flowers are slightly smaller than 1 inch (about 2 cm) long and consist of decreasing clusters that are 4 inches (about 10 cm) long. The fruit is edible with a sweet taste reminiscent of burnt sugar. When leaving for free growth, the stems create a thicket environment that attracts nesting birds. Flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other beneficial pollinators to the garden.

Himalayan honeysuckle is resistant in areas where winter temperatures drop below 6 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius). The branches die back to the ground when they are exposed to a long -term difficult cold period. New shoots will appear in the spring. At the end of the winter, dead braces should be reduced to stimulate new growth.

in a slight climate, where the stems remain green all year round, Leycesteria should be cut in the spring because the first buds begin to form. The stems should be cut back into the desired shape and size. This durable garden shrub will last strong pruning.

seeds are collected at the end of autumn and sown in a cold frame. The seeds will germinate during the winter and appear in the spring. Seedlings are best grown in a greenhouse or on a covered porch for the first year and in the spring of the following year they are transplanted outdoors. Stems cuts also easily roots; Cuts should be made in the summer androoted in a cold frame. Rounded cuttings are ready for planting outside the following spring.