Lilac-flowered Honeysuckle

Lonicera syringantha, lilac-flowered honeysuckle, is a compact, twiggy deciduous shrub native to the dry rocky slopes and scrub of Mongolia, northern China, and Central Asia, grown for a profuse spring display of small, fragrant, lilac-to-pink tubular flowers that smother the fine gray-green foliage for several weeks — the scent and flower color both call to mind true lilac (Syringa), hence the species name, though the two aren't related. Small red berries follow in early summer. Unlike the aggressively invasive Tatarian, Morrow's, and Amur bush honeysuckles (Lonicera tatarica, L. morrowii, and L. maackii) that have overrun woodland edges across much of the eastern US, this species is far less commonly grown and isn't documented as a naturalized problem plant — but any non-native shrub honeysuckle is still worth siting thoughtfully away from wild areas, since bees move pollen freely within the genus.

It stays smaller and more refined than the thuggish bush honeysuckles, making it a reasonable choice for a smaller garden where a fragrant flowering shrub is wanted without the size or spread concerns of its relatives. It tolerates poor, dry, and alkaline soil once established and needs little supplemental water. Because it flowers on the previous year's wood, prune immediately after flowering rather than in late winter or fall — a dormant-season cut removes the coming spring's flower buds.