Honeysuckle, but not as you know it
Plant eulogy alert:
This is Lonicera x purpusii 'Winter beauty' (Winter honeysuckle).
It's flowering right now, and has been since the middle of November.
Last year it came out at the beginning of January #weirdweather
It is quite the most exquisite thing when it's flowering...these fairy pale cream flowers (usually covered with frost) and the scent, which is subtle but oh-so-special...a mixture of sweet floral with that element of what I call 'choke' -
...that tea-like dryness - which ALWAYS takes whatever it is out of 'lovely' and into 'Wow. Want it. Gotta have it'.
A properly special thing to bring indoors when you want something deliciously special in terms of scent.
Is it too punchy of me to say you NEED this plant?
You NEED this plant.
Mine has been planted out into the garden after a couple of happy years in a large pot on my old balcony....so you don't need a garden.
True...it doesn't do much for the rest of the year...not parTICularly gorgeous in form but I promise...all will be forgiven...