Diervilla rivularis Kodiak® Jet Black (Mountain Bush Honeysuckle) Unity Grown

The new and improved cultivar of a popular bush honeysuckle, Diervilla rivularis Kodiak® Jet Black ups the ante on the striking black-purple foliage of the 'Kodiak® Black' variety, lending more intense shades of dark, black-purple to the landscape more consistently throughout the year. Also called mountain bush honeysuckle, Diervilla rivularis is a dense, rounded shrub native to several states in the mid southeast. The Kodiak® Jet Black cultivar is especially noted for its gorgeous dark purple, almost oily black foliage, which is even more intense than the original cultivar in the spring, and in autumn these gorgeous, compact shrubs will take on additional red hues, creating even greater multi-season appeal. In mid-summer, Diervilla rivularis Kodiak® Jet Black produces tons of small, bright yellow, honeysuckle-like flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators, contrasting beautiful with the plants' dark foliage. 

Diervilla rivularis is a highly adaptable shrub for any home landscape where its purple tones will draw contrast to surrounding greenery; growing to a medium size 3-4' tall and about as wide, Kodiak® Jet Black tolerates poor and rocky soils, as well as drought, and is resistant to deer damage and soil erosion. Though this bush honeysuckle requires medium-dry, well-drained soils, it is not at all picky about light level or soil consistency, and grows great anywhere, from full shade to full sun, though colors will be more intense in sunnier areas where plants can experience for positive stress conditions.

Note: Although Diervilla rivularis is referred to as bush honeysuckle, it is a North American native species, and shouldn't be confused with Japanese bush honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica, which is considered invasive in many parts of the US.