Lonicera tatarica                   Caprifoliaceae

Tatarian Honeysuckle, Tartarian Honeysuckle                        lon-ISS-er-a ta-TAR-i-ka

• Deciduous shrub, about 6-12 ft (2-3 m) tall and 10 ft (3 m) wide, habit upright, multi-stemmed, dense twiggy mass.  Leaves opposite, simple, ovate-ovate-lanceolate, 4-6 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, base rounded or cordate, margin entire, bluish-green in summer; emerge in winter or early spring,  Flowers begin to appear after leaves start to unfold, 5-lobed, tubular, 2-2.5 cm long, borne in pairs along the stem in axils of leaves, color can vary with cultivar (dark red to white), not fragrant.  Fruit yellow-orange to red, globose, 6 mm wide.
• Sun to part shade, few pests and diseases, however, the Russian aphid has rendered the plant a liability in the Midwest and east (Dirr, 1998).  Caution: Birds spread the seeds and it may become weedy and is considered an invasive species, not recommended in many areas.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 3      Native to southern Russia, Turkestan.
• A number of selections, including: L. t. var. alba, or ‘Alba’, which has pure white flowers; ‘Arnold Red’, has dark red flowers and large red fruit; ‘Hack's Red’, deep pruplish-red flowers.
• tatarica: of central Asia, formerly Tartary