Monster Box Honeysuckle pruning

I have the perhaps unenviable task of pruning a close relation's large Box Honeysuckle. Except it's no ordinary one. For the last twenty or so years it's been shaped into what my late father believed is the shape of the Loch Ness Monster. It's about five feet high (about ten including supported neck), about five feet wide, and seven feet long. It's now getting a bit chubby and needs pruning back to keep an adjacent path clear, while also trying to retain its shape. Having been shaped over the years presents problems.

Trimming is fine, but after an inch or so, I hit pretty wood growth, of course.

How far can I cut into this woody growth without perhaps creating permanent damage, or even the demise of the plant? Can I just take off five or six inches and it will sprout new leaves next Spring?

Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

Hi @northern_nubie , welcome to Gardeners Corner



We really need to know what the plant is whether it's a Box or Honeysuckle( Lonicera ). If it's a Box I wouldn't advise cutting into old wood, however, Lonicera you can ( within reason ). I personally prune Lonicera In early Spring and Box around June.

 

Thanks for your welcome and reply, KFF. I looked it up and as far as I can see, there's was only one type. I meant Lonicera nitida, which I thought had the common name Box Honeysuckle, or Wilson's Honeysuckle. So now I'm a bit confused.

 

That's ok

I rarely use common names as you find different areas have different names for the same plant.( I always remember Cerastium Tomentosum causing confusion on here a few years ago, down South it's " Snow in Summer " around the West Midlands it's " White Rock ".)

In that case I would leave it until Spring and then cut it back to shape, it will then put out a lot of new bushy growth throughout the Summer.

 

Yes, I can certainly see your point regarding names.

The pruning will involve immediately cutting into pretty woody material. This is mainly because it's not a natural shape, and has a relatively thin layer of foliage over the main structure of the plant. I scoured the Internet a little more and it seems it may well be possible to do it in stages, say over three years, so as to allow it to recover the shock of heavy pruning. So the idea is to prune a third of it (like one side of it) in early Spring. Then another third the following Spring, etc. If it dies that's a risk my mother is prepared to take.

Your advice much appreciated, KFF. But if anyone else has any views, they'd be appreciated. Always good to get a range of views.

 

If we are talking about lonicera nitida, I've found you can cut it back pretty hard and it regenerates, just not a good time of the year, as it will look pretty awful all winter.

 

Thanks, Pete (and those who agreed with your comment). I feel a bit more confident now in giving it thorough cutting back, probably going back four or five inches in parts. I'll do it in stages over two or three Springs, doing one side first Spring, etc. It would have been a lot easier if it hadn't been fashioned into the shape it is, because it results in a very dense network of woody stems, just beneath the surface.