Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family

Caprifoliaceae The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution. Centres of diversity are found in eastern North America an ...

, native to northern

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

s in North America and

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...

. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both continents. Widely known species include ''

Lonicera periclymenum ''Lonicera periclymenum'', common names honeysuckle, common honeysuckle, European honeysuckle, or woodbine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae native to much of Europe, North Africa, Turkey and the Caucasus. It is found ...

'' (common honeysuckle or woodbine), ''

Lonicera japonica ''Lonicera japonica'', known as Japanese honeysuckle and golden-and-silver honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle native to eastern Asia. It is often grown as an ornamental plant, but has become an invasive species in a number of countries. Jap ...

'' (Japanese honeysuckle, white honeysuckle, or Chinese honeysuckle) and ''

Lonicera sempervirens ''Lonicera sempervirens'' (commonly known as coral honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle, or scarlet honeysuckle) is a species of honeysuckle vine native to the eastern United States which is known for its reddish flowers. Description ''Lonicera semp ...

'' (coral honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle, or woodbine honeysuckle). ''L. japonica'' is an aggressive, highly invasive species considered a significant pest on the

continent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas t ...

s of North America, Europe, South America, Australia, and Africa. Some species are highly fragrant and colorful, so are cultivated as ornamental garden plants. In North America, hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers, especially ''L. sempervirens'' and ''L. ciliosa'' (orange honeysuckle). Honeysuckle derives its name from the edible sweet nectar obtainable from its tubular flowers. The name ''Lonicera'' stems from Adam Lonicer, a Renaissance botanist.

Description

Most species of ''Lonicera'' are hardy twining climbers, with a minority of shrubby habit. Some species (including ''

Lonicera hildebrandiana ''Lonicera hildebrandiana'', the giant Burmese honeysuckle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to southeast Asia, in China (Guanxi and Yunnan), Thailand and Burma. Growing to at least tall and broad, with flowe ...

'' from the Himalayan foothills and '' L. etrusca'' from the Mediterranean) are tender and can only be grown outside in subtropical zones. The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 1–10 cm long; most are

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, ...

but some are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

. Many of the species have sweetly scented, bilaterally symmetrical

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s that produce a sweet, edible nectar, and most flowers are borne in clusters of two (leading to the common name of "twinberry" for certain North American species). Both shrubby and vining sorts have strongly fibrous stems which have been used for binding and textiles. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a red, blue or black spherical or elongated berry containing several seeds; in most species the berries are mildly poisonous, but in a few (notably ''

Lonicera caerulea ''Lonicera caerulea'', also known by its common names blue honeysuckle, sweetberry honeysuckle, fly honeysuckle (blue fly honeysuckle), blue-berried honeysuckle, or the honeyberry, is a non-climbing honeysuckle native throughout the cool tempera ...

'') they are edible and grown for home use and commerce. Most honeysuckle berries are attractive to wildlife, which has led to species such as ''L. japonica'' and ''L. maackii'' spreading invasively outside of their home ranges. Many species of ''Lonicera'' are eaten by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some Lepidoptera species—see a list of Lepidoptera that feed on honeysuckles.

Invasive species

The spread of ''L. japonica'' in North America began in the United States in 1806, when it was widely cultivated by the 1860s. It was first discovered in Canada in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

forests in 1976, and became invasive by 2007. ''L. japonica'' was introduced in Australia between 1820-40. Several species of honeysuckle have become invasive when introduced outside their native range, particularly in North America, Europe, South America, Australia, and Africa. Invasive species include '' L. japonica'', '' L. maackii'', '' L. morrowii'', '' L. tatarica'', and the hybrid between the last two, ''L.'' × ''bella''.

Cultivation

Honeysuckles are valued as garden plants, for their ability to cover unsightly walls and outbuildings, their profuse tubular flowers in early summer, and the intense fragrance of many varieties. The hardy climbing types need their roots in shade, and their flowering tops in sunlight or very light shade. Varieties need to be chosen with care, as they can become substantial. Cultivars of the dense, small-leaved '' L. nitida'' are used as low, narrow hedges. The following hybrids have gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit: *''L.'' × ''heckrottii'' ‘Gold Flame’ *''L.'' ‘Mandarin’ *''L.'' × ''purpusii'' 'Winter Beauty' *''L.'' × ''tellmanniana'' Other

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s are dealt with under their species names. The honeysuckle species ''

'' is grown as a commercial crop for

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of acti ...

use.

Phytochemicals and sensory effects

Honeysuckle is renowned for its colorful,

fragrant An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently vol ...

flowers and variously colored fruit, indicating the presence of complex phytochemicals underlying these properties. Component analyses of berries from 27 different

s and 3 genotypes of edible honeysuckle (''Lonicera caerulea'' var. ''kamtschatica'') showed the presence of

iridoid Iridoids are a type of monoterpenoids in the general form of cyclopentanopyran, found in a wide variety of plants and some animals. They are biosynthetically derived from 8-oxogeranial. Iridoids are typically found in plants as glycosides, mos ...

s, anthocyanins,

flavonol Flavonols are a class of flavonoids that have the 3-hydroxyflavone backbone (IUPAC name : 3-hydroxy-2-phenylchromen-4-one). Their diversity stems from the different positions of the phenolic -OH groups. They are distinct from flavanols (with " ...

flavanonol The flavanonols (with two "o"s a.k.a. 3-hydroxyflavanone or 2,3-dihydroflavonol) are a class of flavonoids that use the 3-hydroxy-2,3-dihydro-2-phenylchromen-4-one (IUPAC name) backbone. Some examples include: * Taxifolin (or Dihydroquercetin) * ...

flavones Flavones (from Latin ''flavus'' "yellow") are a class of flavonoids based on the backbone of 2-phenylchromen-4-one (2-phenyl-1- benzopyran-4-one) (as shown in the first image of this article). Flavones are common in foods, mainly from spices, ...

flavan-3-ol Flavan-3-ols (sometimes referred to as flavanols) are a subgroup of flavonoids. They are derivatives of flavans that possess a 2-phenyl-3,4-dihydro-2''H''-chromen-3-ol skeleton. Flavan-3-ols are structurally diverse and include a range of comp ...

s, and

phenolic acid Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids are types of aromatic acid compounds. Included in that class are substances containing a phenolic ring and an organic carboxylic acid function (C6-C1 skeleton). Two important naturally occurring types of ph ...

s. While sugars determine the level of sweetness in the berries, organic acids and

polyphenol Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring organic compounds characterized by multiples of phenol units. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some o ...

s are responsible for the sour taste and tartness. Some 51 of the same compounds in berries are found in flowers, although the proportions of these compounds varied among cultivars studied.

Interaction with other species

Many insects in the order Lepidoptera visit honeysuckles as a food source. An example of this is the moth ''

Deilephila elpenor Deilephila elpenor, the elephant hawk moth or large elephant hawk moth, is a moth in the family Sphingidae. Its common name is derived from the caterpillar's resemblance to an elephant's trunk. It is most common in central Europe and is distribut ...

''. This nocturnal species of moth is especially attracted to honeysuckles, and they visit the flowers at night to feed on their nectar.

Selected species

Some 180 species of ''Lonicera'' are documented. :'' Lonicera acuminata'' or ''Lonicera pampaninii'' – fragrant grove honeysuckle or vine honeysuckle :'' Lonicera albiflora'' – white honeysuckle :'' Lonicera alpigena'' – alpine honeysuckle :'' Lonicera altmannii'' : ''Lonicera'' × ''americana'' :'' Lonicera angustifolia'' :'' Lonicera anisocalyx'' :'' Lonicera arborea'' :'' Lonicera arizonica'' – Arizona honeysuckle : ''Lonicera'' × ''bella'' – Bell's honeysuckle or showy fly honeysuckle :'' Lonicera biflora'' :''

Lonicera bournei Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :'' Lonicera brevisepala'' :'' Lonicera buchananii'' :''

Lonicera buddleioides Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :''

'' – blue-berried honeysuckle :'' Lonicera calcarata'' :'' Lonicera calvescens'' :'' Lonicera canadensis'' – Canada fly honeysuckle, American fly honeysuckle :''

Lonicera caprifolium ''Lonicera caprifolium'', the Italian woodbine, perfoliate honeysuckle, goat-leaf honeysuckle, Italian honeysuckle, or perfoliate woodbine, is a species of perennial flowering plants in the genus ''Lonicera'' of the family Caprifoliaceae. It is n ...

'' – goat-leaf honeysuckle, perfoliate honeysuckle :'' Lonicera carnosifolis'' :'' Lonicera cerviculata'' :'' Lonicera chrysantha'' – Chrysantha honeysuckle :''

Lonicera ciliosa ''Lonicera ciliosa'', the orange honeysuckle or western trumpet honeysuckle is a honeysuckle native to forests of western North America. A deciduous shrub growing to tall with hollow twigs, the leaves are opposite, oval, long with the last pair ...

'' – orange honeysuckle :'' Lonicera ciliosissima'' :'' Lonicera cinerea'' :'' Lonicera codonantha'' :'' Lonicera confusa'' :'' Lonicera conjugialis'' – purpleflower honeysuckle :'' Lonicera crassifolia'' :'' Lonicera cyanocarpa'' :'' Lonicera dasystyla'' – Tonkinese honeysuckle :'' Lonicera dioica'' – limber honeysuckle :'' Lonicera elisae'' :'' Lonicera etrusca'' – Etruscan honeysuckle :'' Lonicera fargesii'' :'' Lonicera ferdinandii'' :'' Lonicera ferruginea'' :'' Lonicera flava'' – yellow honeysuckle :'' Lonicera fragilis'' :'' Lonicera fragrantissima'' – winter honeysuckle :''

Lonicera fulvotomentosa Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or Vine#Twining vines, twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identi ...

'' :''

Lonicera glutinosa Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :''

Lonicera graebneri Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both cont ...

'' :'' Lonicera gynochlamydea'' :'' Lonicera × heckrottii'' – Golden flame honeysuckle :''

Lonicera hellenica Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' – Greek honeysuckle :'' Lonicera hemsleyana'' :'' Lonicera heterophylla'' :''

'' – giant Burmese honeysuckle :'' Lonicera hirsuta'' – hairy honeysuckle :'' Lonicera hispida'' :'' Lonicera hispidula'' – pink honeysuckle :'' Lonicera humilis'' :'' Lonicera hypoglauca'' :'' Lonicera hypoleuca'' :''

Lonicera implexa ''Lonicera implexa'', the evergreen honeysuckle, is a species of shrub in the family Caprifoliaceae The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade of dicotyledonous flowering plants consisting of about 860 species, in 33, to 42 genera ...

'' :'' Lonicera inconspicua'' :'' Lonicera inodora'' :''

Lonicera interrupta ''Lonicera interrupta'', commonly known as chaparral honeysuckle, is a species of plant found in the western United States. It is native to chaparral and mixed forest habitats in the foothills and mountain ranges of California, and to some mounta ...

'' – Chaparral honeysuckle :''

Lonicera involucrata ''Lonicera involucrata'', the bearberry honeysuckle, bracted honeysuckle, twinberry honeysuckle, Californian Honeysuckle, twin-berry, or black twinberry, is a species of honeysuckle native to northern and western North America. Distribution an ...

'' – bearberry honeysuckle :''

'' – Japanese honeysuckle :'' Lonicera jilongensis'' :'' Lonicera kansuensis'' :'' Lonicera kawakamii'' :''

Lonicera korolkowii Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' – blueleaf honeysuckle :'' Lonicera lanceolata'' :'' Lonicera ligustrina'' :'' Lonicera litangensis'' :'' Lonicera longiflora'' :'' Lonicera longituba'' :''

Lonicera maackii ''Lonicera maackii'', the Amur honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle in the family Caprifoliaceae that is native to temperate western Asia; specifically in northern and western China south to Yunnan, Mongolia, Primorsky Krai in southeastern S ...

'' – Amur honeysuckle :'' Lonicera macrantha'' :'' Lonicera macranthoides'' :'' Lonicera maximowiczii'' :'' Lonicera microphylla'' :'' Lonicera minuta'' :'' Lonicera minutifolia'' :''

Lonicera modesta Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :'' Lonicera morrowii'' – Morrow's honeysuckle :'' Lonicera mucronata'' :'' Lonicera myrtillus'' :'' Lonicera nervosa'' :'' Lonicera nigra'' – black-berried honeysuckle :''

Lonicera nitida ''Lonicera nitida'' is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family. In English, it is sometimes given the common names box honeysuckle or Wilson's honeysuckle. It is widely used as a low hedging plant, and for topiary. It is also a pop ...

'' – boxleaf honeysuckle :'' Lonicera nubium'' :''

Lonicera nummulariifolia Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or Vine#Twining vines, twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identi ...

'' :'' Lonicera oblata'' :'' Lonicera oblongifolia'' – swamp fly honeysuckle :''

Lonicera oiwakensis Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :'' Lonicera oreodoxa'' :'' Lonicera orientalis'' :'' Lonicera paradoxa'' :''

'' – (common) honeysuckle, European honeysuckle, or woodbine :'' Lonicera pileata'' – privet honeysuckle :'' Lonicera pilosa'' – Mexican honeysuckle :''

Lonicera praeflorens Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or Vine#Twining vines, twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identi ...

'' :'' Lonicera prostrata'' :'' Lonicera pyrenaica'' – Pyrenean honeysuckle :'' Lonicera quinquelocularis'' – translucent honeysuckle :'' Lonicera reticulata'' – grape honeysuckle :'' Lonicera retusa'' :'' Lonicera rhytidophylla'' :'' Lonicera rupicola'' :'' Lonicera ruprechtiana'' – Manchurian honeysuckle :'' Lonicera saccata'' :''

Lonicera schneideriana Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :'' Lonicera semenovii'' :''

'' – trumpet honeysuckle :'' Lonicera serreana'' :'' Lonicera setifera'' :'' Lonicera similis'' – var. ''delavayi'' – Delavay honeysuckle :'' Lonicera spinosa'' :'' Lonicera splendida'' – evergreen honeysuckle :'' Lonicera standishii'' – Standish's honeysuckle :''

Lonicera stephanocarpa Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :'' Lonicera subaequalis'' :'' Lonicera subhispida'' :'' Lonicera sublabiata'' :'' Lonicera subspicata'' – southern honeysuckle :''

Lonicera szechuanica Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or Vine#Twining vines, twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identi ...

'' :'' Lonicera taipeiensis'' :''

Lonicera tangutica Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :'' Lonicera tatarica'' – Tatarian honeysuckle :'' Lonicera tatarinowii'' :'' Lonicera tomentella'' :'' Lonicera tragophylla'' – Chinese honeysuckle :''

Lonicera tricalysioides Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :''

Lonicera trichogyne Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or Vine#Twining vines, twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identi ...

'' :''

Lonicera trichosantha Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae, native to northern latitudes in North America and Eurasia. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both contin ...

'' :'' Lonicera tubuliflora'' :'' Lonicera utahensis'' – Utah honeysuckle :'' Lonicera villosa'' – mountain fly honeysuckle :'' Lonicera virgultorum'' :'' Lonicera webbiana'' :'' Lonicera xylosteum'' – fly woodbine :'' Lonicera yunnanensis'' Several fossil species are known from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

of Asia. Honeysuckle-1.jpg, ''Lonicera japonica'' Lonicera ciliosa 13310.JPG, ''L. ciliosa'' Lonicera japonica, Fruit.JPG, ''L. japonica'' fruit Lonicera hispidula 3080.JPG, ''L. hispidula'' Lonicera sempervirens 5.JPG, ''L. sempervirens'' Rusokuusama Lonicera tatarica.jpg, ''L. tatarica'' Honeysuckle .jpg, ''L.caprifolium'', Chèvrefeuille Bloemknoppen van een Kamperfoelie (Lonicera) 26-07-2020 (d.j.b.) 01.jpg, flower buds.

References

External links

Flora of China: ''Lonicera'' species list
* {{Taxonbar, from=Q156047 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus