Scientific Name: Leycesteria formosa
Common Name: Himalayan honeysuckle
Family Name: Caprifoliaceae
Origin: S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Zone: Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Plant Type: Shrub - deciduous
Mature Size: 1.3 - 2.0m x 2 - 3m (height x width)
Habit: Stiffly upright, Upright
Form: Oval - vertical, Round
Texture: Medium - coarse
Landscape Uses: Accent plant, Attract birds, Fall interest, Mixed shrub border, Perennial border, Specimen plant, Summer interest, Tall background, Woodland margin
Exposure: Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil or Media: Well-drained
Leaves: Simple, Opposite, Soft flexible, Pubescent, Ovate, Serrulate, Sinuate, Undulate (wavy)
Flowers: Raceme, White, Purple, Jul-Aug-Sep
Fruit: Berry (true), Purple, Black, Aug-Sep-Oct-Nov
Key ID Features:
Upright, thicket forming bush with blue green bamboo-like shoots; leaves opposite, ovate, up to 7(-10)cm wide x 13(-18)cm long; florets white, about 12mm wide, in pendulous racemes with showy dark red bracts; berries oval, dark red to black, up to 16mm long. Winter ID: bark smmoth, green; leaf scars narrow and extend more than half way around twigs.