As a gardening and landscaping expert, I can assure you that honeysuckle bushes do indeed lose their leaves in winter. This is true for deciduous varieties of honeysuckle, which are the most common type of honeysuckle found in gardens.
During the winter months, deciduous honeysuckle bushes go dormant and prepare for the cold weather ahead. As part of this process, they shed their leaves, much like many other deciduous plants and trees. This leaf loss is a natural occurrence and is nothing to be concerned about.
On the other hand, there are also broadleaf varieties of honeysuckle that do not lose their foliage in winter. These types of honeysuckle, such as the evergreen honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), retain their leaves throughout the year. So, if you have a broadleaf honeysuckle variety in your garden, you can expect it to keep its foliage during the winter months.
When it comes to caring for honeysuckle bushes in winter, there isn’t much that needs to be done. Honeysuckle is a relatively low-maintenance plant, and during the dormant winter period, it requires even less attention. You can simply let nature take its course and allow the honeysuckle to go through its natural winter cycle.
However, it is always a good idea to inspect your honeysuckle bushes and prune any damaged or dead branches before winter sets in. This can help promote healthy growth in the following spring. It’s important to note that fall or early winter is not the ideal time for major pruning of honeysuckle bushes, as it can disrupt the plant’s natural dormancy. Instead, it’s best to save major pruning for late winter or early spring, when the plant is beginning to come out of its dormant state.
Honeysuckle bushes do lose their leaves in winter, but this is only true for deciduous varieties. Broadleaf honeysuckle bushes, such as the evergreen honeysuckle, retain their foliage throughout the year. During winter, honeysuckle bushes generally require minimal care, but it’s always a good idea to prune any damaged or dead branches before winter and save major pruning for late winter or early spring.
