Mengshan Red honeysuckle is a remarkable variety of honeysuckle.
The flower buds, leaves and stems of Mengshan Red honeysuckle are all red. It combines medicinal, ornamental and landscaping uses in one, with great market potential and broad development prospects. Its main characteristics are:
1. The color of the flower buds is richly variable. Before opening, the buds change from purplish red to bright red; when the flowers open they are first pink, and after opening they become a mix of red, yellow and white, pleasing to the eye and very beautiful. The fragrance spreads all around and refreshes the heart. The scent is stronger than that of ordinary honeysuckle, and its medicinal components are higher. The flowers, leaves and stems can all be used as medicine. It is the first choice for clearing heat and detoxifying, used to treat painful swelling and boils, externally contracted wind-cold, and the early stage of epidemic febrile disease, and heat-toxin bloody dysentery, with very good results. Brewing the original flowers of Mengshan Red honeysuckle as a tea substitute gives a fragrant drink that leaves one clear-headed and refreshed after drinking. Especially when drunk in summer and autumn, honeysuckle tea can prevent heatstroke and cool the body, clear heat and detoxify, and also nourish the complexion and promote longevity.
2. Flowering habit. Mengshan honeysuckle blooms 5-10 days earlier than ordinary honeysuckle, and its flowering period is long, generally from mid-May to mid-October, about 150 days. It can bloom 4 times a year. The flower yield is relatively high, with about 150 kg of dried flowers per 667 sq m (1 mu).
3. Strong stress resistance. Mengshan Red honeysuckle has strong adaptability to climate and soil and very strong disease resistance. Apart from slight susceptibility to aphids and powdery mildew, no other serious diseases have been found. It has remarkable stress resistance: drought-resistant and waterlogging-resistant, heat-tolerant and cold-tolerant, and salt-alkali tolerant. It can be planted all over the country.
4. Wide range of uses. Mengshan Red honeysuckle does not shed its leaves in winter and stays evergreen all year round. It can be used for garden landscaping and can also be grown as a bonsai, with even higher ornamental value.