woodland shrub

Northern bush honeysuckle

Diervilla lonicera

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to southern New England, North Carolina mountains, northeastern Indiana and northeastern Iowa

In the garden

A woodland shrub for part to full shade and lean, dry soil. At up to 3 ft, it suits shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 2–8.

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Find your zone:

Bees Common Eastern Bumble Bee

also Western Honey Bee, Brown-belted Bumble Bee, Two-spotted Bumble Bee +14 more
Tricolored Bumble Bee, Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee, Pure Green Sweat bee, Bombus fervidus, Red-belted Bumble Bee, Perplexing Bumble Bee, Half-black Bumble Bee, Northern Amber Bumble Bee, Yellow-banded Bumble Bee, Rusty-patched Bumble Bee, Yellowish Cuckoo Bumble bee, Orange-tipped Wood-digger, Bumblebee-like Digger Bee, Pointed Sweat Bee
Moths Snowberry Clearwing also Hummingbird Clearwing, White-striped Black, Laurel Sphinx
Beetles Margined Leatherwing Beetle also Lined Longhorn Beetle, Stripe-legged Long-horned Beetle
Also visited by
- Flower flies:
  
  Eastern Calligrapher, Undivided Lucent +1 more
  Black-legged Gossamer
- Wasps: Common Aerial Yellowjacket, Vespula vidua
- Butterflies: Zabulon Skipper, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail

Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (23): CT, DE, IA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV. Canada (7): MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Newfoundland to Manitoba, south to southern New England, North Carolina mountains, northeastern Indiana and northeastern IowaThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Light: Part shade to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 2–8 · Canadian 1–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Dry, rocky, slightly acid soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 4.8–7.0The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Height: up to 3 ft (to 0.9 m)Typical mature height.
Spread: ~3 ft (1 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: SlowA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ErectIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 16+ in (41+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Cold stratification: Not requiredWhether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed spread rate: SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.