Botanical name: Leycesteria formosa    Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle family)

Himalayan Honeysuckle is a deciduous shrub native to the Himalayas and SW China. It has soft, hollow, upright green stems 1-2 m tall, which only last for 2-5 years before collapsing and being replaced by new stems from the roots. Oppositely arranged dark green leaves, 6-18 cm long and 4-9 cm broad, have an entire or wavy margin. The flowers are produced on 5-10 cm long pendulous racemes. Each flower is small, white, subtended by a purple bract. The fruit is a soft purple-black berry 1 cm across, eaten by birds which disperse the seeds. Himalayan Honeysuckle was popularly used in Victorian shrubberies. It is seldom found in contemporary British gardens, though attempts have been made in recent years to popularise the species in Britain again with new cultivated varieties appearing in most garden centres. Himalayan Honeysuckle is found in forests and shrubberies in the Himalayas, from Pakistan to Burma, at altitudes of 2100-3000 m. Flowering: May-July.

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The flower labeled Himalayan Nutmeg is ...