Blue Velvet Honeysuckle is a distinct and appealing choice for many garden settings. Its unique foliage color and texture offer an interesting visual element, setting it apart from more common garden shrubs. This adaptable plant brings both aesthetic charm and practical benefits to various landscapes.
Discovering Blue Velvet Honeysuckle
Blue Velvet Honeysuckle is botanically identified as Lonicera korolkowii ‘Blue Velvet’. This deciduous shrub is recognized for its small, fuzzy, round, blue-gray leaves, which possess a powdery texture, creating a soft, velvety appearance.
It typically grows as a large, spreading shrub with gracefully arching branches, forming a billowy mound shape. This non-twining variety can reach a mature height of 8 to 12 feet and spread 8 to 10 feet wide. It thrives across a broad range of climates, cold hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 8. In early spring, around May, the plant produces light pink flowers. These blossoms are followed by an abundance of bright red berries that ripen from mid-summer into fall, providing a food source for songbirds.
Essential Care for Blue Velvet Honeysuckle
Blue Velvet Honeysuckle performs best when planted in full sun, which promotes the most vibrant foliage color and abundant flowering. While it can tolerate partial shade, particularly in hotter southern regions, full sun ensures optimal growth. The shrub adapts to a variety of soil conditions, including average, clay, loam, sand, and gritty soils, but it requires well-drained conditions. It is not particular about soil pH, thriving in slightly acidic, neutral, or slightly alkaline environments, but it does not tolerate standing water or waterlogged soils.
Once established, Blue Velvet Honeysuckle exhibits notable drought tolerance, making it a suitable choice for water-wise landscapes. During its initial establishment period, consistent watering is beneficial to encourage a strong root system. Water newly planted shrubs when the top few inches of soil feel slightly damp, ensuring thorough saturation of the root zone. For mature plants, supplemental watering is generally only needed during extended dry spells, with approximately one inch of water per week from rainfall or irrigation usually sufficient. Overwatering can negatively impact root health, so allowing the soil to dry out between watering sessions for established plants is important.
Fertilization is not strictly necessary for this honeysuckle, as it can thrive in less-than-ideal soil conditions once established. If gardeners choose to fertilize, a balanced slow-release formula, such as a 10-10-10 or 5-5-5 blend, can be applied. Pruning can be done at any time to maintain its shapely form and control its size. Annually, in early spring after new growth emerges, it is beneficial to remove any dead or damaged wood. To promote healthy, fresh growth and prevent the shrub from becoming too dense, a few of the oldest, largest canes can be removed at the base every three to five years. It is important to avoid shearing the plant, as this can detract from its natural, graceful arching habit.
Blue Velvet Honeysuckle generally shows good resistance to common pests and diseases. It has demonstrated resistance to aphid damage, a common issue for many honeysuckle varieties. While it is largely untroubled, it may occasionally encounter issues such as powdery mildew or fungal leaf spot, especially in conditions with poor air circulation or high humidity. Maintaining proper cultural practices, including adequate spacing and appropriate watering, helps prevent these potential problems.
Landscaping with Blue Velvet Honeysuckle
Its blue-gray foliage and arching branches make Blue Velvet Honeysuckle a versatile plant for landscaping. Its mature size and spreading habit make it suitable as a privacy screen, informal hedge, or for mass plantings. It also serves as a striking specimen plant.
Its robust nature and drought tolerance once established also make it suitable for erosion control on slopes. The steel-blue foliage contrasts well against green-leaved plants, making it ideal for mixed borders. It attracts birds and butterflies, enhancing its value in wildlife-friendly gardens.
Propagating Blue Velvet Honeysuckle
Propagating Blue Velvet Honeysuckle is a straightforward process, primarily achieved through cuttings. Gardeners can successfully root new plants from either softwood or semi-hardwood cuttings. Softwood cuttings are typically taken in summer from the current season’s growth, while semi-hardwood cuttings are taken in autumn once the wood has begun to harden.
To propagate, select healthy, non-flowering stems and cut segments approximately 4-6 inches long. Remove the leaves from the lower half of the cutting and dip the cut end into rooting hormone. Insert the prepared cuttings into a well-draining rooting medium, such as a mix of peat and perlite. Maintain consistent moisture and humidity around the cuttings until roots begin to form, which can take several weeks.