Complete Guide to Honeysuckle Care Essentials and Its Benefits and Medicinal Uses

If you are familiar with Chinese medicinal herbs, you are surely no stranger to honeysuckle; it tends to show up whenever there is a cold or fever. Honeysuckle is also known as Japanese honeysuckle (rendong), and it has the effect of "clearing heat and detoxifying," with good results in treating colds, sore throat, fever and other ailments. It is an evergreen shrub that bears paired stamens when in bloom, so the ancients described it as a scene of "mandarin ducks dancing in pairs."

Besides having a certain medicinal value, honeysuckle also carries a fragrant scent when kept at home, making it a plant that is both ornamental and useful. On the flower market it is mostly grown as a potted plant, and its daily care is relatively simple. Its suitable growing temperature is 15-25 degrees Celsius; when the temperature exceeds 305 degrees Celsius, ventilation must be strengthened and a suitable amount of water mist sprayed to cool it down, and it can adapt to a low-temperature environment of around -105 degrees Celsius. In extreme cases, it can withstand a minimum temperature above -30 degrees Celsius, while below -305 degrees Celsius it will suffer frost damage.

As for watering, it likes a moist environment, so it should be watered more, but be careful not to let water accumulate at the bottom of the pot, otherwise the roots can easily rot. The ideal soil state is slightly moist; once the surface layer of the soil dries out, water it thoroughly right away. Watering through the four seasons can be referenced as follows: in summer, when temperatures are high, water more frequently, and when necessary spray water mist on the leaves and around the plant to increase air humidity; in autumn, when watering, pay more attention to the state of the potting soil and by no means let it alternate between dry and wet; in winter, reduce watering.

As for soil and fertilizing, it is not demanding about soil and prefers a slightly acidic soil rich in humus with good air permeability; if conditions allow, using this type of soil can ensure that honeysuckle absorbs stable nutrients and makes the flowers bloom more brilliantly. As for fertilizing, it likes fertilizer but dislikes concentrated fertilizer. During the growing season (May-October), apply dilute organic fertilizer and top-dress once every half month to promote growth; later, during the bud formation stage, adding potassium dihydrogen phosphate can promote flowering, and in winter fertilizing should be stopped. As for pruning, old leaves and withered yellow leaves should be pruned regularly to reduce nutrient consumption.