Honeysuckle

[sesquipedalia]

I LOVE scented plants, especially ones that are attractive to bees and butterflies. I've got a pyracantha hedge along the front of my house that is about 4 1/2 to 5 ft tall. IT has a gap in it where some old pyracantha plants died. I'm thinking about putting in a couple of honeysuckles - a summer one to scramble through the hedge and a shrubby winter one for lovely fragrance near the front door.

Does anyone have any recommendations for which types? I keep googling and getting intimidated by the different varieties!

This is what Chris Beardshaw says:

"Best for fragrance Only a fraction of the 200 or so honeysuckles on record compete with our native common honeysuckle, Lonicera periclymenum, for fragrance. It is a magnet for wildlife: butterflies and moths are attracted to the slender, tubular flowers; birds nest in the dense canopy.

Two close contenders, however, are the early-summer-flowering L. periclymenum 'Belgica' and the late L. periclymenum 'Serotina'. Both are deciduous and will spread to 2m x 2m within five years: harness their vigour to clothe fences and walls, and also as weed-smothering ground cover. Similar in fragrance is L. periclymenum 'Graham Thomas', which enlivens arbours and pergolas with golden flowers in midsummer.

Hybrid honeysuckles often lack strong scent, but L. x heckrottii 'Gold Flame' is an exception. This amber honeysuckle is perfect for pillars and confined spaces. Flowering through summer, it is deciduous, but in sheltered areas deep purple foliage remains."

I've repeatedly seen "Graham Thomas" recommended, and of course the native species is fantastic. I suspect I may have "Serotina" - I have one which is highly fragrant and starts flowering when the others stop.

I can't help on the winter ones - my nose isn't up to it. Other bushes recommended for winter scent are Sarcocca and of course, Viburnum bodnantense - that one I can smell! And it has a really long flowering season.

If you like the honey scent, another plant to be aware of is Euphorbia mellifera - the name means "honey bearer". A very strong honey scent, flowers just after the wallflowers. Its only disadvantage (apart from the sap that all Euphorbias have) is its habit of firing seeds at you on hot summer days.

I have serotina and winter fragrantissma.
I’d be aware they can take a LONG time to get going..
My Serotina took 3 years before flowering and although it’s grown very long it hasn’t filled out yet.
My winter is nearing two years old, no flowers yet and only moderate growth