In article ,
K writes:
|
| No, I have not got confused with cotoneaster. I can usually distinguish
| between Rosaceae and Caprifoliaceae ;-)

Me too :-)

| While I have not looked closely at these flowers, they
| were not out of character for Lonicera (it was sold to me as a Lonicera)

I have fairly often got confused over plants with small trumpet flowers
(even Abelia!), because I find it very hard to separate such families
by flowers alone. But I can't think of a hardy evergreen climber that
I would confuse with Lonicera.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Charlie Pridham writes

"K" wrote in message
...

The leaves are too small for henryi, which in any case has black
berries, and the berries are later in the year. (I have henryii, and it
has berries atm)


When you say climbing K, how strongly does it climb?
You now have me intrigued!

Not as strongly as I remembered! I fought my way through the jungle to
look at it close up, and it now looks like a sprawly shrub, about 8 ft
long and 30 inches wide, leaning at about 30 degrees from the vertical
across the other bushes. The main stem is about 1.5 inches thick and
bendy - not more than about a foot of straightness before it bends in
another direction. But the branches coming off it are straighter,
tending to hang down.

So I suppose I should look at the other shrubby Loniceras. The leaves
are slightly blue green, not hairy, up to 1.5cm long, no tendency to be
in joined pairs at the tip of the branches. Smaller than eg
fragrantissima, much smaller than henryii.

I purchased it many years ago as a Lonicera, but didn't keep a record of
what it was (I remember the names of plants up to the level of my
interest at the time - when I bought it, I was just becoming aware of
the range of Lonicera species, whereas now I'm curious to know *which*
species) so I suppose I do have to start considering whether it really
is Lonicera. Certainly nothing about it suggested it wasn't.

This is the first year in which it has berried well, and it really did
look pretty, until the birds got there!


--
Kay

"K" wrote in message
...
Charlie Pridham writes

"K" wrote in message
...

The leaves are too small for henryi, which in any case has black
berries, and the berries are later in the year. (I have henryii, and it
has berries atm)


When you say climbing K, how strongly does it climb?
You now have me intrigued!

Not as strongly as I remembered! I fought my way through the jungle to
look at it close up, and it now looks like a sprawly shrub, about 8 ft
long and 30 inches wide, leaning at about 30 degrees from the vertical
across the other bushes. The main stem is about 1.5 inches thick and
bendy - not more than about a foot of straightness before it bends in
another direction. But the branches coming off it are straighter,
tending to hang down.

So I suppose I should look at the other shrubby Loniceras. The leaves
are slightly blue green, not hairy, up to 1.5cm long, no tendency to be
in joined pairs at the tip of the branches. Smaller than eg
fragrantissima, much smaller than henryii.

I purchased it many years ago as a Lonicera, but didn't keep a record of
what it was (I remember the names of plants up to the level of my
interest at the time - when I bought it, I was just becoming aware of
the range of Lonicera species, whereas now I'm curious to know *which*
species) so I suppose I do have to start considering whether it really
is Lonicera. Certainly nothing about it suggested it wasn't.

This is the first year in which it has berried well, and it really did
look pretty, until the birds got there!


--
Kay

have a look at Lonicera syringantha, its not a climber but a tall bendy
shrub, it is also not totally evergreen but keeps enough leaves here for it
to be thought one! It has clusters of highly scented pink flowers from April
to Juneish followed by clusters of orange red fruits (which go quite quickly
here as the birds like them)

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collections of Clematis viticella (cvs) and
Lapageria rosea

Charlie Pridham writes

"K" wrote in message
...

Not as strongly as I remembered! I fought my way through the jungle to
look at it close up, and it now looks like a sprawly shrub, about 8 ft
long and 30 inches wide, leaning at about 30 degrees from the vertical
across the other bushes. The main stem is about 1.5 inches thick and
bendy - not more than about a foot of straightness before it bends in
another direction. But the branches coming off it are straighter,
tending to hang down.

So I suppose I should look at the other shrubby Loniceras. The leaves
are slightly blue green, not hairy, up to 1.5cm long, no tendency to be
in joined pairs at the tip of the branches. Smaller than eg
fragrantissima, much smaller than henryii.

have a look at Lonicera syringantha, its not a climber but a tall bendy
shrub, it is also not totally evergreen but keeps enough leaves here for it
to be thought one! It has clusters of highly scented pink flowers from April
to Juneish followed by clusters of orange red fruits (which go quite quickly
here as the birds like them)

That's a very distinct possibility! Fits the description in RHS
Encyclopaedia, and 1 pic on Googling. Thanks :-)

I also see from

http://tinyurl.com/ykek8h

that it is growing near the lake at Ingleborough Hall (Reginald
Farrar's place - the rock plant guy) so I'll have a look for it next
time I'm on the way to Gaping Gill. Never een it there, but haven't seen
the Rodgersia aesculifolia either, so obviously haven't been looking
well enough.
--
Kay