Diervilla lonicera #3 (Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle)

Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle is a native, low-growing, suckering, deciduous shrub with beauty and utility. It only grows to a height of about 3 feet and it has a variable spread based on its growing conditions. In rich, moist soils it tends to spread quickly and can fill a large area, making it an asset when doing battle with the non-native, invasive bush honeysuckles. This plant is not a true honeysuckle, but resembles them in flower as well as the opposite leaf structure. The general growth habit is similar to Forsythia, with its long, caney branches and spreading tendencies.

Flowering starts in mid-June with a profusion of bright yellow, fragrant, tubular blooms and continues sporadically throughout the rest of the growing season. They attract a plethora of pollinators, including short and long tongued bees, butterflies, skippers, moths and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. The plants are self-sterile and require another nearby individual for cross-pollination. The flowers will redden after being pollinated, maturing into dry seed capsules. Many songbirds will feast on the seeds, autumn through winter. Diervilla lonicera is also host to the Laurel Sphinx Moth, the beloved Snowberry Clearwing Moth, and the specialist Diervilla Clearwing Moth which only hosts on this plant!

The ability to cover ground quickly and grow in such a wide variety of conditions gives Dwarf Bush Honeysuckle versatility in the landscape. It excels at erosion control on slopes and embankments, in full sun to full shade. It loses most of its ornamental qualities in the shade, but makes a sturdy groundcover. In full or partial sun, the new growth (which is continuous throughout the season) emerges coppery red with a purple cast, while the older leaves are dark green and lustrous. It is an attractive, multi-colored plant that can be left to naturalize in difficult areas, at woodland’s edge, or for massing in large spaces. Plants can be rejuvenated and kept tidy by being cut to the ground every few years.

Sources:
Native Trees, Shrubs, & Vines by William Cullina
Midwestern Native Shrubs and Trees by Charlotte Adelman & Bernard L. Schwartz
Missouri Botanical Garden
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
Cornell University Woody Plants Database
The Morton Arboretum