Plot & PetalField ManualAll plants
Purpus honeysuckle
Lonicera x purpusii (hybrid name as written by Trees and Shrubs Online; a hybrid of L. fragrantissima and L. standishii)
Pet & Human Safety
People: No hazard foundPets: Not on the ASPCA lists as we read them
No ASPCA page for Lonicera x purpusii. Do not treat as pet-safe.
PlotAndPetal cannot tell you whether a plant you found can be eaten. Only someone who can see the plant can identify it.
Poison control
If someone has collapsed, cannot be woken, is having a seizure or has trouble breathing, call 911 now. For any other possible poisoning, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Emergency number source: U.S. federal law (47 U.S.C. § 251(e)(3)), read 2026-10-07.
Naturalist Lore
Historical Background & Breeding Lore
The history of this plant and its name, and how it was bred, where we have them.
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- Hardiness zones
USDA 4a-8b per NC State Plant Toolbox, for L. Fragrantissima (a parent); zones 4-8 per Morton Arboretum, also for L. fragrantissima. No hardiness rating for the hybrid itself was found in the sources.
- Light
For the parent L. fragrantissima: full sun or partial shade (NC State, Morton Arboretum).
- Water needs
moderate moderate is a plain-language reading of NC State for the parent L. fragrantissima: drainage good, moist or occasionally dry; tagged drought tolerant but intolerant of wet conditions. Not stated for the hybrid. Always finger-test two inches down.
- Mature size
Trees and Shrubs Online: up to 10 ft high and more in diameter. For the parent L. fragrantissima: 6.5-10 ft tall and 6-10 ft wide (NC State); 6 to 10 ft tall and wide (Morton Arboretum)
How to prepare the soil, when and what to feed, and how and when to prune where that applies.
Get the app: coming soonAnatomy & Guilds
Botanical Anatomy & Characteristics
How the flowers and leaves are built and which pollinators visit, where we have them.
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Field Doctor
What can go wrong with this plant and what to do about it, where we have them.
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Vintage Plates
Old botanical drawings from public libraries are in the app, for plants where we have them.
Get the app: coming soonSources
- Trees and Shrubs Online (International Dendrology Society) - Lonicera x purpusii
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox - Lonicera fragrantissima (winter honeysuckle; a parent of the hybrid and the species Kew WCVP treats L. purpusii as a synonym of)
- Morton Arboretum - Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)
- Kew POWO/WCVP - accepted-name record
- ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants list