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Perhaps Lonerica nitida; it blooms very early. In my yard it blooms in early March and it is VERY fragrant - you can smell it within 50 ft, there is nothing else as sweet in bloom at the same time.
Yes hcmcdole, it could be. :)
I wasn't sure.
I might have the wrong one. Fragrantissima is apparently much hardier than nitida, and has been described as a "vine". Since I'm in zone 5, this is what I might have. It certainly isn't a vine though, but a vase-shaped shrub with a form akin to a fountain. The branch ends look like the given photo when they are first blooming.
But I don't know how hardy the plant in question is.
So, the hardiness zone of the shrub in question and if it is actually blooming right now would probably help clinch the ID.
Jane444blue, can you tell us if your shrub is blooming right now and what sort of hardiness zone the shrub is in?
Fragrantissima is a shrub. To me, the scent reminds me of Fruit Loops, but they don't wait for March to bloom here; they bloom off and on after any warm (as in not freezing) period from January through April with a huge flush oof bloom in either late February or early March depending on the weather.
The more I look it up, the more I think I have L. fragrantissima. and yes, sladeofsky, it does smell like something fruity - I liken it to Juicy Fruit gum. When I purchased the plant it was marked "Wintersweet" which I now know is another plant entirely (Chimonanthus praecox).
The nursery didn't know any more about it, and well, it was before the Internet came to my house. I narrowed it down to a Lonerica of some kind with the help of local gardeners.
Learn something new every day! :)
Lonicera fragrantissima is not only a shrub which has winter blooming characteristics as sladeofsky mentions - but it is BIG plant with rounded opposite semi-evergreen foliage which is often used as a fencerow hedge, especially by thoroughbred horse farms in the Bluegrass region of KY.
It is also quite the invasive pest plant, when it enjoys its surroundings. Worse as you go south, but even here in not so balmy central KY there are whole hillsides of forest where the understory is 100% Fragrant/Winter Honeysuckle. The worst site I'm aware of is near the old distilleries of Old Taylor and Old Crow downstream of Millville (in Woodford County, KY) paralleling McCracken Pike and Glenn's Creek. The Google Earth images show pretty clearly how it is choking out everything else.
The municipal park system I work for is eradicating this species, along with the other Asian shrub honeysuckles that are far more rampant in our parks.
Yes, VV, my plant is pretty big, about 8 x 8. Since I am aware of Lonerica's propensity to propagate in a big way, I have not and won't purposely propagate this one. It has been in its location almost 20 years and I have never found another one around, in fact have never seen seeds or berries of any kind on it. It has suckered, but close to the base and not out of control. I do like to cut branches and bring it inside in the spring - that might be enough to keep it in bounds.
The scent of a whole hillside must be mighty though, almost intoxicating! Bees love it.
