The discreet fruits of this shrubby honeysuckle glisten in the winter sun beside Bateson Walk.
The genus Lonicera comprises approximately 160 species of woody shrubs and climbers from the northern hemisphere. The climbing honeysuckles are familiar to many for their attractive, scented flowers, and a number of the shrubby species are admired for their fragrant winter flowers. Lonicera quinquelocularis is a large, robust shrub reaching 5m in height and spread, and displaying arching stems. In summer two-lipped, cream-yellow flowers are produced in the leaf axils, and these are followed by small clusters or single, translucent fruits, which persist into winter. These catch winter sunlight and clearly show the seeds held inside the berries. A native of the Indian subcontinent and west Asia, this is a hardy shrub.