Northwest Blooms · Shrubs
Lonicera nitida 'Twiggy'
Twiggy Boxleaf Honeysuckle
- Family
- Caprifoliaceae
- Height
- 2 to 3 feet
- Width
- 3 to 4 feet
- Flower color
- Tiny creamy white to pale yellow tubular flowers; mostly hidden
- Foliage color
- Small glossy dark green oval leaves densely arranged along fine twiggy stems
- Bloom time
- Late spring, often May to June
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Water
- Average
- Maintenance
- Low; shear or prune regularly to maintain a compact dense shape
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 6 to 9
- Wildlife
- Bees and other pollinating insects and birds that feed on the small purple berries
About this plant
Lonicera nitida 'Twiggy' produces small creamy white flowers in late spring, the tiny tubular blooms opening discreetly along the slender stems. The blossoms appear among very small, glossy leaves that densely cover the fine branching. The evergreen foliage remains deep green through the growing season and often develops purple to bronzy tones during winter, adding subtle seasonal color along the thin stems and delicate branchlets.
This cultivar traces its heritage to Lonicera nitida native to western China. In gardens it provides neat evergreen structure in borders, low hedges, and clipped plantings where the dense branching and tiny leaves create a tidy framework and fine texture.
Works well in
Sun Gardens · Containers · Borders · Bird Gardens
Companion plants
Spirea · Feather reed grass · Catmint · Shasta daisy · Candytuft · Ornamental onion
Design tip
Use ‘Twiggy’ as a low clipped hedge or repeated edging plant where its fine branching and tiny leaves can create crisp definition without visual heaviness. Regular pruning will emphasize its dense form, making it especially useful for bringing structure to looser, more informal plantings.
Where to see it
This plant can be seen at the Bellevue Botanical Garden.
