The following was received via email: I bought two Mandarin honeysuckles last spring to vine up a new arbour. The plants which were sold in one gallon buckets were small and new. They vined up beautifully and the leaves are very enjoyable, but I didn't get a single flower. I'm sure it is just a matter of pruning, but I am unsure exactly what to cut back this winter. All of the stems are new. Please help, I can't wait to see the flowers in person. Thanks, Gina
Hi Gina, You will be pleased when it blooms I am sure. I don't think it is a pruning issue. Pruning of Lonicera 'Mandarin' should be done in the winter, but is done to control height as it is a vigorous grower. My guess is that it did not bloom because it was new and needed more time to establish. I would not prune it at all this first winter. The cultivar is a UBC Botanical Garden Plant Introduction. It was a very popular entry on the Botany Photo of the Day. You can follow the links on Daniel's entry to the fact sheet for the plant: Lonicera 'Mandarin'. Now if we can just get Andrew Riseman to breed the wonderful fragrance that honeysuckles can have into this plant, we will have my idea of the perfect ornamental vine.
