Bush honeysuckle (Diervilla splendens 'El Madrigal' NIGHTGLOW)
Diervilla splendens 'El Madrigal' NIGHTGLOW, a low-maintenance Bush honeysuckle, offers summer yellow blooms and vibrant fall color in Zones 4-8.
Scroll down to discover growing tips, care requirements, companion plants, and more
Complete Plant Information
Overview
Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW is a highly valued, compact deciduous shrub celebrated for its reliability and seasonal interest, making it an excellent choice for structured garden designs. This specific cultivar of Bush honeysuckle provides reliable performance with deep green foliage blushed with red-purple tones, culminating in brilliant red-purple fall color. It is a tough, adaptable plant that thrives across a wide range of conditions, demanding minimal care once established.
Developed as a hybrid, Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW offers bright yellow, tubular flowers that appear consistently throughout late spring and summer, attracting butterflies and other essential pollinators. Its manageable size allows it to fit seamlessly into smaller landscapes where larger shrubs are inappropriate. Gardeners appreciate the low maintenance requirements and the overall hardiness of this popular selection, commonly sold as NIGHTGLOW.
Unlike some invasive honeysuckles, this North American native hybrid cultivar provides seasonal beauty without excessive invasiveness, though it may spread subtly via suckers. Its tolerance for less-than-ideal soils, combined with its deer resistance, ensures that the Bush honeysuckle remains a robust structural element in mixed borders or refined formal plantings.
Fast Facts
- Plant Family: Caprifoliaceae
- Plant Type: Deciduous shrub
- Hardiness Zones: USDA Zones 4-8
- Size at Maturity:
- Height: 2-3 ft
- Spread: 2-3 ft
- Bloom Time: May to July
- Bloom Description: Yellow
- Sun Exposure: Full sun
- Water Needs: Medium
- Maintenance Level: Low
How to Grow
The ideal placement for Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW is in full sun, which encourages the best foliage color development, although it tolerates partial shade well. This Bush honeysuckle prefers evenly moist, well-draining, humusy loams, but its practical value lies in its tolerance for clay and drier soils once established. Planting is best performed in spring or fall when temperatures are moderate, allowing the root system time to settle before summer heat or winter freeze.
Watering should be consistent, especially during the first year after planting, to maintain medium moisture levels. While Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW is generally drought-tolerant once mature, supplemental watering during extended dry spells benefits overall performance. Fertilization is rarely necessary; if soil is poor, a balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied in early spring is sufficient.
Maintenance for this variety is inherently low. Pruning primarily involves shaping or removal of any stray, overly aggressive suckers that appear outside the desired landscape boundary. If hard pruning is required, perform it immediately after the main bloom finishes to avoid cutting off next year’s flower buds. Protect plants from excessive foot traffic.
Landscape Uses
The compact habit of Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW makes it perfectly suited for creating low, neat hedges where formal definition is required without significant height. It functions excellently as foundation plantings, softening the transition between the structure of a house and the garden bed. For mixed shrub borders, this Bush honeysuckle provides dependable mid-season color and clean structure.
Consider pairing NIGHTGLOW with plants that contrast its yellow flowers and reddish foliage. Plants that prefer similar conditions, such as various low-growing sedums for groundcover or contrasting Japanese maples for vertical interest (if the light conditions allow), work well. Due to its adaptability, it is also suitable for use in containers, providing season-long structure and texture on patios or decks.
When used in mass plantings, the uniform 2-3 ft size of Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW ensures a clean, uniform look ideal for defining edges or mass screening low sightlines. Its hardiness and disease resistance simplify integrated pest management strategies in border designs.
Standout Features
Flower Qualities
- Showy
Noteworthy Characteristics
Diervilla splendens is a hybrid bush honeysuckle of cultivated origin that results from crossing D. Sessilifolia and D. Lonicera. It is a deciduous shrub that can reach 4-5’ tall with a similar width and a rounded to spreading habit. The specific epithet splendens means “splendid”. ‘El Madrigal’ is a compact, hybrid selection of bush honeysuckle that was discovered as a naturally occurring branch mutation on nursery stock. The ovate foliage is dark green blushed with red-purple and turns fully red-purple in fall, with terminal clusters of yellow flowers blooming from late spring to summer.
Tolerances
- Deer
- Clay Soil
Potential Problems
This plant is remarkably resilient, boasting “No serious insect or disease problems.” However, under high humidity or crowded conditions, foliage issues such as leaf spot or powdery mildew may occasionally occur. Prevention involves ensuring good air circulation during planting, which can be managed by adhering to the recommended spread distances. Treat minor fungal issues immediately with a general-purpose fungicide if they appear persistent, focusing on improved cultural practices first.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hardiness zones is Bush honeysuckle suitable for?
Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW is hardy and reliably performs in USDA Zones 4 through 8.
How large does Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW grow?
This compact selection typically matures to a height between 2 and 3 feet, with a comparable spread of 2 to 3 feet, maintaining a neat, mounding outline.
When does Bush honeysuckle bloom?
This variety of Bush honeysuckle offers attractive yellow flowers generally blooming from May through July, providing extended summer color.
What sun exposure does Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW need?
For the best performance, especially maximizing the desirable dark foliage color, this plant should receive full sun exposure, though it will tolerate partial shade.
Conclusion
The Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW is an outstanding, low-effort landscape workhorse, delivering reliable summer bloom and superb fall foliage. As a tough, native hybrid Bush honeysuckle, it excels where many perimeter shrubs fail, handling clay and deer pressure with ease. Ensure you select a site receiving adequate sunlight to maximize the depth of its color before planting this resilient specimen.
Companion Planting
When integrating Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW into a mixed border, selecting companions that share its preference for medium water and sun exposure is key. Consider plants with fine textures or contrasting colors; Astilbes (in slightly shadier spots) or various ornamental grasses, such as Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass), can effectively complement the shrub’s denser mound. Its deer resistance also makes it a good neighbor for more susceptible perennials like Hostas placed near the borders.
Wildlife Benefits
The summer-long flowering period of this Bush honeysuckle variety offers consistent nectar access for native insect pollinators. While the flowers of Diervilla are not the primary draw for general wildlife, the dense, low structure of Diervilla splendens ‘El Madrigal’ NIGHTGLOW forms excellent protective cover and nesting sites for smaller songbirds throughout the growing season. Utilizing native or hybrid natives like this supports local ecosystems more effectively than many exotic alternatives.
