How to Prune Purple Honeysuckle

Purple honeysuckle is a fast growing vine that is often planted to provide privacy in urban areas. All honeysuckle varieties produce large quantities of fragrant flowers. As the plant matures and its top growth becomes more dense, it shades out the lower branches and they begin to produce fewer flowers. Prune purple honeysuckle every few years to thin out the top growth and the lower branches will again produce fragrant blooms.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Remove branches that are dead or diseased by cutting them back to ground level. Check for unusual growths on the branches and remove those to ground level as well.

2. Prune branches that are growing in a wild or errant fashion. Remove those that are growing horizontally or that are tangled in other branches. Your aim is to remove any branches that are hindering the growth of others.

3. Cut off one-third of the length of the branches on the entire plant. This will allow air and light to reach the lower branches, which will encourage them to begin producing flowers.

References

• Prune purple honeysuckle.