| Common Name | Bush honeysuckle |
| Genus | Diervilla |
| Species | ionicera |
| Family | Caprifoliaceae |
| Life Cycle | deciduous shrub |
| Bundle Size | 10 bare roots per bundle |
| Care | All of these plants will ship to you from Vermont in early April. They will be just coming out of dormancy. You may see swelling buds or a bit of new growth, but in general they will be in a dormant state and may look a little dead. Don't worry! They will wake up. You may see a bit of mold on the roots but this is completely normal. Simply wash it off and plant immediately. As a precaution you can treat the roots with a fungicide or biofungicide, but this isn't necessary. Small broken branches are also of little concern. Just prune off any broken bits and the plant will recover quickly. The root system is the important part at this stage in the game. If you can't plant immediately on arrival store your bare roots in the cooler.The cold will delay their growth. Keep them from freezing. You can either pot them into 1 gallon pots or plant them directly into your prepared soil. Just make sure to plant them within a few days of arrival. They are waking up and are ready to grow, and they will decline quickly if they are not given soil, water and sunshine. This is a carefully orchestrated process to get plants quickly from their storage conditions to you so please do your part and be ready to plant them on arrival. There is no reason that these plants will experience any stress if you prepare for their arrival. |
| Netting / Staking | None |
| Hardiness | Spacing 3' x 3' Mature height 3-4' |
| Spacing | Hardiness zones 4-7 |
| Soil Preference | Very tolerant of all sorts of "problem" soils. Adaptable, but prefers moist, well draining soil. |
| Light | Full sun to part shade. Once established, it doesn't mind sun, shade or drought. The color will be deeper and richer in full sun. |
| Water | Drought tolerant when mature. |
| When to Plant | Spring, when the ground is workable. |
| Harvesting | Harvest foliage summer through fall. Expect 0 stems in year 1, 3-4 stems in year 2, 6-8 stems in year 3, 10-12 stems in year 4 and 14-16 stems in years 5+ |
| Post Harvest Care | Post Harvest guide coming soon |
| Diseases / Insects | No serious insect or disease problems. Watch out for leaf spot and powdery mildew. |
| Bailey's Notes |
Diervilla is yet another underused native plant! Magical Dark Delight is a lovely burgundy strain. I think it would be an excellent cut foliage that can be harvested summer into fall with no fuss. And it will come back year after year. |
| Resources |
