Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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Friday - April 05, 2013
From: Dassel, MN
Region: Midwest
Topic: Container Gardens, Vines
Title: Containerized honeysuckle for Dassel MN
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
We are renting our house but I would like to enjoy my own honeysuckle. Can they be planted in a big pot so that I can take it with me when we move.ANSWER:
We recommend only plants native not only to North America but to the area in which those plants grow natively; in your case, Meeker Co., MN. This is important particularly in view of your climate. The vines we find native to Minnesota may be cold deciduous, perhaps dying back to the ground but resproutiing in the Spring. However, that is dependent on the insulation of the earth around the roots; whereas, a plant in a container has much more exposed roots. If the roots freeze, moisture in them will burst the roots, killing the plant. So, you may need to be prepared to move your pot of honeysuckle into a protected space, like a garage, every Fall.
Please read our How-To Article on Container Gardening with Native Plants for help in choosing, planting and caring for plants in containers. From the University of Illinois here is an article on Growing Vines in Containers.
Now, we will go to our Native Plant Network and search on "honeysuckle," which produced 27 results; narrowing that list down to Minnesota natives produced 7 results. Of these, we have chosen 3 to suggest. Follow each link to our webpage on that plant to learn its growing conditions, sunlight requirements, etc. Each plant name will have a link after it to take you to the USDA Plant Profile Map on that plant, so you can find out if it grows in or near Meeker County.
Diervilla lonicera (Northern bush honeysuckle) - Map
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