(Lonicera peri-clymenum.) This hardy, beautiful, and fragrant flowering shrub will grow in almost any soil, and will thrive where few others will, under the shade of trees. There are the following subspecies: -

1. Periclymenum Semper virens; Perfoliate evergreen; Virginia Honeysuckle, which always flowers, commonly called Trumpet Honeysuckle.

2. Periclymenum Racemosum, Honeysuckle with yellowish flowers, growing in bunches, and a snowy fruit.

3. Periclymenum Verticillatum, another tree-like honeysuckle, with inflected branches, and a coral-coloured flower.

4. Periclymenum Germanicum, the German honeysuckle.

5. Periclymenum Italianum, Italian honeysuckle.

6. Periclymenum Vulgare, honeysuckle with a corymbus of flower terminating the stalks, hairy leaves, growing distinct, and very slender branches, commonly called English Honeysuckle, or Woodbine.

7. Periclymenum Americanum, the evergreen honeysuckle.

As to the general culture, they require very little; the upright sorts in particular, require to have only their straggling shoots shortened, and dead wood cut out; and the trailing kinds, which are trained as climbers, must have their branches conducted in a proper manner upon their respective supports; and every year all rambling shoots must be reduced and trained as you shall see proper, so as to preserve them within due limits; unless you design they shall run wild in their own rural way, especially those intended to climb among the branches of trees*, shrubs, and bushes; those also intended and trained annually, laying the shoots along at their length, especially till they have covered the allotted space; shortening or clearing out, however, all such stragglers as cannot be properly trained; likewise such of those sorts as are trained against walls, etc, must have an annual pruning and training, by going over them two or three times in summer, laying in some of the most convenient shoots, some at their length, shortening or trenching others, as it shall seem necessary to preserve regularity, and the proper succession of flowers; observing, however, to train enough, at this time particularly, of such as shall appear necessary to continue the bloom as long as possible; and in winter pruning, thin out all those left in summer which may now appear superfluous, and shorten all such as are too long for the space allotted for them, especially all those with weak straggling tops; and nail in the remaining branches and shoots close to the wall.

Propagation is effected by layers and cuttings, more particularly the latter, both of which readily emit roots, and form plants in one year, fit to transplant. Some sorts are also propagated by suckers and by seed.

By Layers

In autumn, winter, or spring, lay a quantity of the lower young shoots of the former summer, shortening their straggling tops; they will be well rooted by the autumn following, each commencing a good plant, and should be taken off, and planted in nursery rows, for a year or two, to acquire proper size and strength for use.

By Cuttings

Any time from October till March, is the proper time for this work, but the sooner the better, and by which method prodigious quantities of the plants may be raised, as almost every cutting will readily grow.

Choose of the young shoots of the previous summer, the strongest and most robust, which divide into cuttings from about six or eight to ten or fifteen inches long, plant them in rows in any shady border of common earth, a foot asunder, and half that distance apart in each row, or closer if greater quantities are required, putting of each cutting two parts out of three of its length into the ground; they will take root freely, and shoot at top so as to form proper plants by autumn or winter following, at which time they may be transplanted into the nursery quarters to have more room to grow, placing them in rows two feet distance, and a foot apart in the rows, where let them remain a year or two, or till wanted for the shrubbery.

By Seed

If sowed in autumn in a bed of common mould an inch deep, many of the plants will probably rise in spring; but a great part of them are apt to remain till the second spring before they appear. (Abercrombie).