produce as a repeated or an annual , the heavy leaves of this tropic plant certainly catch the eye .
Go tropical in a big style with honey bush . This vigorous , evergreen plant shrub from South Africa has huge , 12 - inch - prospicient leaflet that are a moderately blue - green or silvery hue and often serrated . The leaves have a smell that resembles peanut butter or hazelnuts when crushed .
Honey bush is most valuate for its leaf . In tender climates , it is grown as a perennial . If it remains in the land over the winter and if it ’s not hack back wholly , 1- to 2 - foot - marvelous bloom spike start to form in winter and plough burgundy in early spring . In moth-eaten clime , it is grown as an yearbook or confine to a container , where it will create an telling focal point in brusk order . When uprise as an annual , it remains much poor but the farewell are still large .
Honey bush is toxic to humanity and pets .
Where to Plant Honey Bush
take a location in full Lord’s Day or partial subtlety . The grunge quality and pH are secondary but the soil should have first-class drainage .
Plant love bush as a focal point in the back of a bottom or a border . Although it is more like a perennial than a shrub — especially if you cut it all the way back each leap — it needs copious space . The sculptural foliage grow all the way to the ground so there is no motivation for underplanting it . rather , surround this large - foliage industrial plant with annuals or perennial that have smaller leaves and different folio colors , or with ornamental Gunter Grass .
How and When to Plant Honey Bush
Plant honey bush in the spring so it has the entire growing season to get established . Dig a yap at least twice the size of it of the greenhouse Mary Jane and just as deep . position the plant in the hole and backfill with the original soil so that the top of the beginning ball is affluent with the soil . Tamp down the soil and water it well and continue to water it on a regular basis during the first grow time of year in the absence of rain to encourage a strong solution system of rules .
Space the shrubs 9 foot apart .
Honey Bush Care Tips
Honey bush requires only minimum maintenance .
Light
Honey bush prospers infull Dominicus . Partial shade is acceptable as well , especially at the upper last of the zone range , to shelter it from the hot afternoon sun .
Soil and Water
Honey bush thrives in moist , prolific ground although it also suffer thin , dry soil . It is equally adaptable in terms of soil pH and grows in acrid , impersonal , or alkaline soil . practiced drainage , however , is important . grunge that remain excessively blind drunk during the winter are not suitable .
Until the flora is institute , it postulate frequent watering . After that , it is drought - tolerant yet benefit from spare moisture .
Temperature and Humidity
Honey bush is a cutter perennial that needs to be grown as an annual or overwintered indoors in region with cold winter . Even within its zone range , it should be imbed in a location where it is protect from hard current of air .
The industrial plant does not have any special humidity requirements .
Fertilizer
In intermediate to poor soil , honey bush does not grow taller than 5 to 6 feet . If you would like to hold its growth , skip the plant food . piteous soil is also more conducive to bloom .
For lusher foliage , feed it a complete , all - role ho-hum - release garden fertilizerin the fountain when the new emergence starts . Alternatively , spread a 2 - column inch layer of compost around the home in the spring .
Pruning
With its sprawl , suckering ontogeny habit , honey bush tends to depend unruly . Fortunately , it takes well to unvoiced pruning . In the bound , make out all the stems back to a height of 3 inches above priming coat grade . unexampled radical and foliage will soon come forth . Because honey bush blooms on old forest ( stems from the late class ) , it wo n’t bloom that year — usually a venial downside for a plant that is in the main grow for the grain of its foliation and not its flowers .
Potting and Repotting Honey Bush
To arise honey bush as a perennial below geographical zone 8 , practice a container with large drain holes and satiate it with well - drain timbre potting mix . The container should be 8 inches larger in diameter than the root ball so the plant has sufficient infinite for at least a twelvemonth before it outgrow its container .
think that container - maturate plants ask more frequent watering than plants in the landscape .
Replant the love bush to a expectant pot with fresh potting ground when it fills the container or roots start to emerge from the drainage maw .
Pests and Problems
The most mutual gadfly on honey bush are aphids andwhiteflies . The latter also appear on works indoors ( greenhouse whitefly ) ; they multiply speedily in warm , moist conditions . Washing the leaf with a hose helps with removal but may have to be repeated .
How to Propagate Honey Bush
Propagation of honey bush can be done withbasal or deal cuttingsin the late spring or other summertime . you’re able to also dig up and replant one of the numerous soft touch that produce around the base of the industrial plant , which is typically the wanton method since they already have roots .
Types of Honey Bush
There are two known cultivars ofMelianthus major :
‘Antonow’s Blue’
This variety is intrepid than the mintage . The powdery - dark , deep lobed 18 - in leave of absence have pink edges and curve gracefully like ostrich feathers . The flowers are silvern - pinkish . Zone 7 - 11
‘Purple Haze’
The silver - blue foliation of this cultivar is finer than the species . As the leafage with white underside unfurl , they show a purple shade . The red flowers sit atop burgundy - red stems . The growth habit is more spreading than the species and tends to fill up out right to the ground . geographical zone 8 - 11
Honey Bush Companion Plants
Sedum
good sedum with dark folio contrast beautifully with the foliage of the honey bush . Mostsedumsgrow over a encompassing zone compass . Make certain to pick out a cultivar that is accommodate to a warm clime , such as ‘ Vera Jameson ’ and ‘ Purple Emperor ’ . Because upright sedums incline to spring tight clumps of foliage and do n’t unfold , establish it in small grouping . Zone 3 - 9
Coral Bells
Thanks to extensive plant breeding , the foliation ofcoral bellsis available in a whole range of rainbow colors . Choose a variety show with purple or Bourgogne leaf such as the popular ‘ Palace Purple ’ cultivar . These perennial are highly wanton to grow as long as they are n’t observe too wet . Make certain there is honorable drain . Just like the honey bush , coral Bell do n’t like sitting in water . Zone 3 - 9
Coleus
A firm , vigorously growing annual plant around honey bush is coleus . There are legion chance upon variety of flame nettle to choose from , both withveined foliageandedged foliage , and tall varieties such as ‘ Mississippi Summer ’ as well astrailing onesfor cheery locations .
Frequently Asked Questions
Honey bush is aboriginal to the southwestern Cape in South Africa . It has been bring in as an decorative works around the world .
Honey bush has become trespassing in sure places , such as New Zealand but not in North America . Note that honey bush is different from thehighly invading non - aboriginal Australian honeysuckle shrubssuch as Morrow ’s honeysuckle(Lonicera morrowii),Tatarian honeysuckle(Lonicera tatarica),Amur honeysuckle(Lonicera maackii),and Japanese honeysuckle(Lonicera japonica ) .
Updated by Nadia Hassani
Honey Bush . University of Wisconsin - Madison .
