Lonicera caerulea L.

Shrubs, deciduous, to 2.5 m tall. Branches with solid pith. Bark flaking. Buds divaricate, sometimes with accessory ones. Winter buds with several pairs of scales, outer pair long acuminate and obscuring inner ones. Interpetiolar stipules sometimes reniform and fused to 6 mm; leaf blade ovate to oblong or obovate, 1-6 × 1-3 cm, both surfaces with sparse short hairs, more densely so and spreading hairy on midvein, sometimes subglabrous, base rounded, apex acute to obtuse. Inflorescences axillary, paired flowers; peduncle 2-10 mm; bracts linear, 2-3 × as long as ovaries; bracteoles glabrous, fused into a cupule tightly enclosing free ovaries. Corolla tubular-funnelform, 10-15 mm, outside puberulent, shallowly gibbous at base; lobes regular, 2-3 mm. Stamens exserted from corolla. Ovaries 2-locular; style exserted and glabrous. Cupule tightly fused around 2 berries, blue-black, pruinose, forming an elliptic to oblong-elliptic compound fruit, ca. 1.5 cm. Seeds brown, globose to ellipsoid, ca. 1.5 mm. Fl. May-Jun, fr. Aug-Sep.

It is a temperate plant. It can grow in full sun or light shade. Plants cannot tolerate wind. It is cold hardy and can tolerate temperatures down to-40°C. It only has a short chilling requirement. It is best is slightly acidic or neutral pH soils. It can grow in alkaline soils. It suits hardiness zones 2-8. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

CAUTION: The fruit are used to make jam, jellies or drinks.

Plants can be grown from seed. They can also be grown from cuttings. Plants should be spaced 1 m apart. Male and female plants need to be grown together for fruiting.