Lonicera quinquelocularis |
Native Region: Himalayas
Zone Range: 05-09
Preferred Climate: Temperate
Harvest Date: Sunday 06 November, 2011
Seed count: 25-30
Description:
A small to medium sized deciduous shrub or small tree to 4 meters (14 feet) from the Himalayas has distinctively furrowed bark and velvety pubescent leaves. It produces its pale yellow honeysuckle blooms in pairs in early to mid summer, which are followed by small white berries that mature to almost transparent, showing the dark seeds within in early to mid autumn. Recent studies have suggested that this plant produces a number of compounds of interest to medical science.
Notes:
Hey who wouldn’t want a plant with an unpronounceable name – really, you would need two Scrabble sets just to spell the species name. <br><br> However, this is a large shrub or small tree of some considerable merit. The deeply fissured bark forms lattice patterns of black and tan in the winter, while the summer flowers of cream fading to yellow are attractively interspersed among the mid green leaves. The berries, which mature in the fall, are remarkable in that they are translucent, making the violet seeds visible within.
Cultivation:
Sow seed in containers in late winter or early spring. Best germination rate is at 5º Celsius (40ºF) after up to 2 months of cold stratification. Grow on in any good garden soil. For maximum freshness, please keep seed refrigerated in its original packaging until it is time to plant.
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