Lonicera caprifolium

Lonicera caprifolium was introduced by the Romans to Britain it is considered to be naturalized here now, the highly scented flowers appear early in March and April and are arranged in tiered whorls at the shoot tips in shades of pink and cream. This early flowering coupled with the perfoliate leaves at the shoot ends serves to distinguish it from L. periclymenum our other native honeysuckle, it is often wrongly sold as 'Early Dutch' and also sometimes goes under the name 'Early Cream'