Herb: Himalayan Honeysuckle


Latin name: Leycesteria formosa


Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)



Edible parts of Himalayan Honeysuckle:

Fruit? - one unconfirmed report said that the fruit is edible. It has a very bitter taste and is not very desirable, though the birds love it.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
2.5 m
(8 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
June to
September

Scent:
Scented
Shrub

Habitat of the herb:

Scrub and shady forests, often by streams, to 3000 metres.

Other uses of Himalayan Honeysuckle:

The hollow stems can be made into whistles and flutes.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in late autumn. Very easy when done this way, it germinates in the spring. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer or following spring. Stored seed requires a period of cold stratification and can take more than a year to germinate. Sow it as soon as possible in a cold frame. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Plant out in spring. Good percentage. Cuttings of mature wood, 20 - 25cm with a heel, planted in open ground in October/November. Good percentage. Cuttings of greenwood in spring in a frame. Division in autumn. Very simple, plant the divisions out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivation of Himalayan Honeysuckle:

Scrub and shady forests, often by streams, to 3000 metres.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Leycesteria formosa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.