Light
Sun to part shade. Hot afternoon sun can scorch the gold in the South.
Growing guide · Shrubs
Lonicera nitida
How to grow Box Honeysuckle 'Thunderbolt'.
Boxwood texture, gold leaves.
- Light
- Full sun, part sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Zones
- 6–9
- Size
- 3–4 ft tall and wide
- Spacing
- 2–3 ft apart for a low hedge.
- Pets
- Not pet-safe; keep out of reach
Water
Weekly the first season. Fairly drought tolerant after that.
Planting and soil
Any well-drained soil. Plant at pot depth.
Feeding
Light slow-release fertilizer in spring.
Pruning
Shear once or twice in summer. It grows quickly, so trimming is part of the deal for a formal look.
Through the year
Bright new growth in spring, gold through summer. Evergreen to semi-evergreen; it may thin in a hard winter and regrow in spring.
If something's off
Few pests. Leaf drop in severe cold, which grows back.
Gold leaves for a dull corner.
Box honeysuckle has tiny, glossy leaves like boxwood, but in chartreuse to gold that lights up a shady bed. It grows into a dense mound about 3–4 ft tall and wide and takes shearing well. Small cream flowers in late spring are a minor bonus.
Why we stock it: A boxwood stand-in that brightens things up and skips boxwood's problems.
Box Honeysuckle 'Thunderbolt'from $89.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it
Box Honeysuckle 'Thunderbolt'from $89.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it