Honeysuckle has long managed to win the love of summer residents and gardeners. Unpretentious care, frost resistance and useful properties of fruits attract the attention of many. And early ripening of fruits deprives this berry of competitors. Even the early varieties of strawberries ripen two weeks later, so the fruits of this culture can be safely called the very first berry of the season with a huge list of beneficial properties. In the article, we will look at how garden culture looks and what sizes it can reach in the process of its life.

Garden honeysuckle or edible: description

Today, about 200 different species of honeysuckle are known. The most popular type is the garden, which bears fruit not only tasty and healthy berries, but also pleases the eye with its appearance. Bushes of this culture can grow up to 1-2 m. Crohn has a dense branching. Fruits are dark blue with a black tint.

Inedible varieties of honeysuckle have fruits of red, yellow and orange colors. Edible blue and black.

Appearance: bush, tree, on which it depends

Depending on the variety, the appearance of this crop may vary. We list the main indicators:

1. Shrubs: erect, creeping, climbing, deciduous and evergreen.
2. Leaves: simple, with a pointed apex, opposite, usually elliptical.
3. Flowers: red, yellow, cream and pink. Some have a fragrance, some do not.
4. Fruits: red, yellow, orange, black, blue. They can be edible and inedible, fused.
5. The shape of the berries: pear-shaped, spindle-shaped, oval and cylindrical.
6. Inflorescences: semi-umbrellas and two-flowered.

Honeysuckle refers to shrubs, but there are species that are characterized as a half-bush-half-tree, for example, a plant of the Pavlovskaya variety. As a result of proper care of some types of decorative honeysuckle, a tree can be formed. This form can be achieved as a result of work on a climbing vine of a type of honeysuckle. Such a tree will look very impressive in landscape design. But to achieve this form, it is necessary to form a crown of the bush for several years in a row (3-4 years).

Honeysuckle is very demanding on transplanting and can hardly tolerate this process, so when choosing a place for planting this shrub, you need to consider that the plant will grow here on an ongoing basis.

All undergrowth from below must be removed, and only the top should be left. New shoots are removed very easily. Due to this, skeletal branches will form the base of the bush in the form of a tree trunk, and the upper shoots will form its crown.

All varieties of culture prefer a temperate and non-hot climate. Excellent plant took root in the vastness of Russia, because this country is the leader among others in the cultivation of this berry. Siberian varieties (Fire Opal, Galochka, Berel, Sirius, etc.) calmly withstand severe frosts characteristic of this area.

In addition, favorable conditions for the growth of this plant exist throughout Belarus. Here you can grow absolutely all varieties of this culture, since the climate is temperate, winters are even and there is high humidity. In Ukraine, the territory of Polesie is well suited for growing honeysuckle. But the south of the country is not suitable for these purposes, since heat and dry air do not contribute to the cultivation of this plant.

Dimensions of adult honeysuckle plants

Shrubs are divided into several categories depending on the height of the plant:

• stunted bushes;
• medium-sized bushes;
• tall bushes.

Important! The first 5 years after planting, honeysuckle bushes are not recommended to be cut. During this period, strong shoots grow and a crown is formed.

Maximum for bush

Shrubs belong to tall, the growth of which is close to or exceeds 2 m. Some varieties of this crop reach growth even of 2.5–3 m. The following varieties can be attributed to tall shrubs:

• Nymph (height reaches 1.8 m, width - up to 1 m);
  

• Bakcharsky giant (height - 2 m, width - 1.3 m);
  

• Fire Opal (height - 1.8 m, width - 1.2 m);
  

• Fortune (height - up to 2 m, width - up to 1.4 m);
  

• Leningrad giant (height - up to 2.5 m, the crown, as a rule, compact, with an average degree of density).
  

For wood

As already mentioned, some shrubs are malleable to the formation of your desired shape and height. With regular pruning, the bushes acquire not only a beautiful appearance, but also the desired shape.

You might be interested in reading about Brown Climbing Honeysuckle. Some of them can be formed in the form of a tree:

• Pavlovsk honeysuckle (height - up to 1.5 m, width - up to 1.2 m);
• Honeysuckle (creeper length reaches 5 m).

Video: How to form a living wall from Honeysuckle Honeysuckle

Methods for determining the age of an adult honeysuckle plant

In order to determine the age of the plant, you must have a certain horticultural experience. Each plant has certain characteristics depending on age. Based on this knowledge, you can find out how old a particular plant is.

Did you know? The name of the honeysuckle is formed from two words: “life” and “youth”. And this is not surprising, because its fruits are extremely useful and have a beneficial effect on the nervous, digestive, cardiovascular and excretory systems of the human body.

For the bush

If we consider edible honeysuckle, then a characteristic indicator for an age of 3-4 years will be the detachment of long strips on the bark, in the place of which red wood will look. The plant brings its first fruits in the 3-4th year after planting. Upright bushes at the age of 7 reach a height of 1.8 m. For this age, the width of a densely branched and spreading crown up to 2 m is also characteristic. Skeletal branches can be counted from 12 to 18.

For wood

If we consider the age of the crop in the form of a tree using the example of honeysuckle, then in this case there is a clear sign that will help to find out whether the plant is young or not. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to the color of the branches: young ones will have a light green color, and the old branches will be painted brown. In addition, it must be borne in mind that in one season the branches of the vine grow quite quickly. The growth per year is about 1.5 m.

Honeysuckle growth dynamics by years

Bushes of this crop grow quite slowly. At the age of 6–10 years, the plant reaches its maximum size. Consider the growth dynamics on the example of edible honeysuckle:

Plant age	Plant height	Plant diameter
1-2 years	30–40 cm	Up to 0.5 m
3-4 years	70–80 cm	About 1 m
5–8 years old	1.5–2 m	1.5–1.8 m

The variety of honeysuckle bushes is amazing. Ease of care, flexibility to form the desired shape of the bush and the aesthetics of this plant will make your garden incredibly beautiful.