''Lonicera hildebrandiana'', the giant Burmese honeysuckle, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Caprifoliaceae, native to southeast Asia, in China (Guanxi and Yunnan), Thailand and Burma. Growing to at least tall and broad, with flowers and leaves up to long, this climbing, twining shrub is by far the largest of all the honeysuckles. The

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

leaves are glossy, and the long thin tubular flowers open cream, turning to yellow and orange. The flowers, which have a strong honeysuckle fragrance, appear in pairs intermittently from spring throughout summer, and are followed in autumn by green berries. ''Lonicera hildebrandiana'' was found in Burma (now Myanmar) in 1888 by Henry Collett, who named it after a local administrator Arthur Hedding Hildebrand, himself an enthusiastic collector. Hildebrand later sent seeds to

Kew Gardens Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...

for storage and propagation purposes. Since then, specimens have been located in China and Thailand. This plant does not tolerate frost, so when cultivated in cold temperate areas it must be grown under glass, either in a large conservatory or greenhouse. When grown in warmer temperate zones, it may be planted in a sheltered bay out of direct winter winds until it has grown to a height above the frost-line. A fully grown plant is relatively heavy, especially after rain, so requires strong support as it is not self-supporting. It has been given the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...

’s

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10935829 Flora of China Flora of Myanmar Flora of Thailand hildebrandiana