| I recently planted a Diervilla Lonicera "Splenden's" in my backyard and have noticed that it seems to be dying. The leaves for the most part have dried out and the whole plant looks sick. I was told when I bought the plant it would do well in the area that I had planned to plant. The soil is somewhat sandy with with partly rich soil, and not alot of sun, around 2-3 hours daily. I needed a plant that would do well in the shade. Any Ideas on what to do? |
| The Diervilla group consists of three small, hardy, deciduous shrubs native to North America. Commonly known as Bush Honeysuckle, these small shrubs belong to the Honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae, and produce yellow, two-lipped flowers. D. sessilifolia (Southern Bush Honeysuckle) is a small shrub covered with slender, pointed leaves that have a coppery tinge when young. Its yellow flowers are produced in short panicles from early to late summer. Bush Honeysuckles can be grown in any well-drained, friable soil, in partial shade or sun. Pruning consists of simply removing old, weak branches and trimming others. Hardy to zones 4, the plant will reach a height of 4' and a spread of 5'. This is an adaptable plant and can be used in a variety of adverse situations. The cultivar 'splendens' is a hybrid of D.lonicera and D. sessilifolia. If you've been supplying water on a regular basis (once a week, thoroughly soaking the root system), then your plant may just be adjusting to its new location. Give it a little more time and it will probably pull out of its "new transplant doldrums". |
