Lonicera japonica Thunb. var. aureo-reticulata (T. Moore) G. Nicholson
Lonicera japonica Thunb. var. chinensis (P.W. Watson) Baker
Nintooa japonica (Thunb.) Sweet
Lonicera japonica Thunb. Japanese honeysuckle, golden-and-silver honeysuckle
Japanese honeysuckle is native to eastern asia: parts of China, Japan, and Korea. It has become naturalized in much of the rest of the world, including North America; in some habitats it is considered an invasive species. Here are some honeysuckles: |
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Lonicera fragrantissima |
You are here Lonicera japonica |
Lonicera sempervirens |
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Common Name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Plant | Shrubs are 3-9½′ (1-3 m) around | A vine up to 16′ (5 m) in size. Young stems are reddish- or light-brown, while older stems are hollow, with peeling bark | Trumpet honeysuckle is a twining vine 3-20′ (91-609 cm) long, depending upon what it has to climb over. Bark is orange-brown, and peeling. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Flowers | Blooms are a creamy white color, in pairs, appearing in March-April, and very fragrant, with a lemony smell | Flowers are white, showy, fragrant, about 1″ (2.5 cm) in size. They fade to a yellow color, so the vine appears to have white and yellow flowers | In clusters of 2-4, each red or orange with yellow interiors, 1-2″ (2.5-5 cm) long, trumpet-shaped. They appear from April to July. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Leaves | Leaves are opposite, roughly oval, with smooth edges | Leaves are opposite, roughly oval-shaped, with smooth edges. Younger leaves may have lobes | Roughly oval in shape, opposite, bluish green, and 1-3″ (2.5-7.6 cm) long. Leaves at the base of flowers are fused at the base. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fruit | Orange to red berries up to ⅜″ (1 cm) across | Black, about ⅛″ (3.2 mm) around | Berries are orange-red to deep red in color | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Range/ Zones | USDA Zones: 4-8 | USDA Zones: 4-9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Type | Wild | Wild | Wild | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Occurrence |
Identification: Japanese honeysuckle is very robust—a rapidly spreading vine that spreads by roots, aboveground runners, or seeds. They can reach 16′ (5 m) in size. Young stems are reddish- or light-brown, while older stems are hollow, with peeling bark. Leaves are opposite, roughly oval-shaped, with smooth edges. Younger leaves may have lobes. Flowers are white, showy, fragrant, about 1″ (2.5 cm) in size. They fade to a yellow color. Most of the time it looks like there are two differently colored flowers on the bush. Japanese honeysuckle berries are black, about ⅛″ (3.2 mm) around. Native honeysuckle berries are red to orange.
Edibility: Flowers can be used for nectar, and leaves parboiled for use as a vegetable. Leaves contain somewhat toxic saponins, so boiling in ample water is necessary to remove them. Tea can also be made from leaves, buds, and flowers.
Online References:
The USDA Forest Service's Fire Effects Information Database
The University of Florida IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants
The University of Connecticut Plant Database
Plants for a Future, a resource and information centre for edible and otherwise useful plants
Lonicera japonica Thunb. var. aureo-reticulata (T. Moore) G. Nicholson
Lonicera japonica Thunb. var. chinensis (P.W. Watson) Baker
Nintooa japonica (Thunb.) Sweet
Lonicera japonica description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 16 Sep 2020.
Range: