Honeysuckles are arching

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from tree ...

s 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 and ...

, 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 ...

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 archipelag ...

. Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified in both continents. Widely known species include '' Lonicera periclymenum'' (common honeysuckle or woodbine), '' Lonicera japonica'' (Japanese honeysuckle, white honeysuckle, or Chinese honeysuckle) and '' Lonicera sempervirens'' (coral honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle, or woodbine honeysuckle). ''L. japonica'' is an aggressive, highly

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

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 are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven ...

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,

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the Family (biology), biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are ...

s are attracted to the flowers, especially ''L. sempervirens'' and ''L. ciliosa'' (orange honeysuckle). Honeysuckle derives its name from the edible sweet

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualist ...

obtainable from its tubular flowers. The name ''Lonicera'' stems from

Adam Lonicer Adam Lonicer, Adam Lonitzer or Adamus Lonicerus (10 October 1528 – 29 May 1586) was a German botanist, noted for his 1557 revised version of Eucharius Rösslin's herbal. Lonicer was born in Marburg, the son of a theologian and philologist. He ...

, a Renaissance botanist.

Description

Most species of ''Lonicera'' are

hardy Hardy may refer to: People * Hardy (surname) * Hardy (given name) * Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica * Mount Hardy, Enderby Land * Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island * Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands Australia * Hardy, Sout ...

twining climbers, with a minority of shrubby habit. Some species (including '' Lonicera hildebrandiana'' from the Himalayan foothills and '' L. etrusca'' from the Mediterranean) are tender and can only be grown outside in subtropical zones. The

leaves A leaf ( : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, st ...

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 Symmetry in biology refers to the symmetry observed in organisms, including plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria. External symmetry can be easily seen by just looking at an organism. For example, take the face of a human being which has a pl ...

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 mechanis ...

s that produce a sweet, edible

, 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 partic ...

is a red, blue or black spherical or elongated

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, rasp ...

containing several seeds; in most species the berries are mildly

poison Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...

ous, but in a few (notably '' Lonicera caerulea'') 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 Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

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 Ca ...

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 ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The 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 '' Lonicera japonica'' 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 flowers and variously colored fruit, indicating the presence of complex

phytochemical Phytochemicals are chemical compounds produced by plants, generally to help them resist fungi, bacteria and plant virus infections, and also consumption by insects and other animals. The name comes . Some phytochemicals have been used as poison ...

s underlying these properties. Component analyses of berries from 27 different

s and 3

genotype The genotype of an organism is its complete set of genetic material. Genotype can also be used to refer to the alleles or variants an individual carries in a particular gene or genetic location. The number of alleles an individual can have in a ...

s 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, mo ...

anthocyanin Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical com ...

s, flavonols, flavanonols, flavones, flavan-3-ols, 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 acid An organic acid is an organic compound with acidic properties. The most common organic acids are the carboxylic acids, whose acidity is associated with their carboxyl group –COOH. Sulfonic acids, containing the group –SO2OH, are ...

s 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 ...

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

visit honeysuckles as a food source. An example of this is the moth '' Deilephila elpenor''. 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 ''Lonicera alpigena'' L.,Not to be confused with ''L. alpigena'' C.B. Clarke, syn. '' L. webbiana'' Wall. ex DC. known as alpine honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle native to mountain forests of Central and Southern Europe. It is sometimes ...

'' – alpine honeysuckle :'' Lonicera altmannii'' : ''Lonicera'' × ''americana'' :'' Lonicera angustifolia'' :'' Lonicera anisocalyx'' :''

Lonicera arborea 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 arizonica'' – Arizona honeysuckle : ''Lonicera'' × ''bella'' – Bell's honeysuckle or showy fly honeysuckle :''

Lonicera biflora 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 bournei'' :'' Lonicera brevisepala'' :'' Lonicera buchananii'' :'' Lonicera buddleioides'' :'' Lonicera caerulea'' – blue-berried honeysuckle :'' Lonicera calcarata'' :'' Lonicera calvescens'' :'' Lonicera canadensis'' – Canada fly honeysuckle, American fly honeysuckle :'' Lonicera caprifolium'' – goat-leaf honeysuckle, perfoliate honeysuckle :'' Lonicera carnosifolis'' :'' Lonicera cerviculata'' :'' Lonicera chrysantha'' – Chrysantha honeysuckle :'' Lonicera ciliosa'' – 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 ''Lonicera etrusca'' is a species of honeysuckle known by the common name Etruscan honeysuckle. It is native to Southern Europe, Western Asia and North Africa and it is known elsewhere, including the Pacific Northwest of North America, as an intr ...

'' – Etruscan honeysuckle :'' Lonicera fargesii'' :'' Lonicera ferdinandii'' :'' Lonicera ferruginea'' :'' Lonicera flava'' – yellow honeysuckle :'' Lonicera fragilis'' :'' Lonicera fragrantissima'' – winter honeysuckle :'' Lonicera fulvotomentosa'' :'' Lonicera glutinosa'' :'' Lonicera graebneri'' :'' Lonicera gynochlamydea'' :'' Lonicera × heckrottii'' – Golden flame honeysuckle :'' Lonicera hellenica'' – Greek honeysuckle :'' Lonicera hemsleyana'' :'' Lonicera heterophylla'' :'' Lonicera hildebrandiana'' – giant Burmese honeysuckle :'' Lonicera hirsuta'' – hairy honeysuckle :''

Lonicera hispida 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 hispidula The perennial vine ''Lonicera hispidula'' is a species of honeysuckle known as pink honeysuckle and, less often, California honeysuckle. It is a low-elevation woodlands shrub or vine found on the West Coast of North America. Description Like o ...

'' – pink honeysuckle :'' Lonicera humilis'' :''

Lonicera hypoglauca 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 hypoleuca'' :'' Lonicera implexa'' :'' Lonicera inconspicua'' :'' Lonicera inodora'' :'' Lonicera interrupta'' – Chaparral honeysuckle :'' Lonicera involucrata'' – bearberry honeysuckle :'' Lonicera japonica'' – Japanese honeysuckle :'' Lonicera jilongensis'' :'' Lonicera kansuensis'' :'' Lonicera kawakamii'' :'' Lonicera korolkowii'' – blueleaf honeysuckle :'' Lonicera lanceolata'' :'' Lonicera ligustrina'' :'' Lonicera litangensis'' :''

Lonicera longiflora 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 longituba'' :'' Lonicera maackii'' – Amur honeysuckle :'' Lonicera macrantha'' :'' Lonicera macranthoides'' :'' Lonicera maximowiczii'' :'' Lonicera microphylla'' :'' Lonicera minuta'' :'' Lonicera minutifolia'' :'' Lonicera modesta'' :''

Lonicera morrowii ''Lonicera morrowii'', the Morrow's honeysuckle, is a deciduous honeysuckle in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to Japan, Korea, and Northeast China. It is a shrub, reaching a height of 2–2.5 m, with oblong leaves 4–6 cm long. It l ...

'' – Morrow's honeysuckle :''

Lonicera mucronata 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 myrtillus'' :'' Lonicera nervosa'' :'' Lonicera nigra'' – black-berried honeysuckle :'' Lonicera nitida'' – boxleaf honeysuckle :'' Lonicera nubium'' :'' Lonicera nummulariifolia'' :'' Lonicera oblata'' :'' Lonicera oblongifolia'' – swamp fly honeysuckle :'' Lonicera oiwakensis'' :'' Lonicera oreodoxa'' :'' Lonicera orientalis'' :'' Lonicera paradoxa'' :'' Lonicera periclymenum'' – (common) honeysuckle, European honeysuckle, or woodbine :'' Lonicera pileata'' – privet honeysuckle :'' Lonicera pilosa'' – Mexican honeysuckle :'' Lonicera praeflorens'' :'' Lonicera prostrata'' :'' Lonicera pyrenaica'' – Pyrenean honeysuckle :'' Lonicera quinquelocularis'' – translucent honeysuckle :'' Lonicera reticulata'' – grape honeysuckle :'' Lonicera retusa'' :'' Lonicera rhytidophylla'' :'' Lonicera rupicola'' :''

Lonicera ruprechtiana ''Lonicera ruprechtiana'', the Manchurian honeysuckle, is a deciduous honeysuckle in the family ''Caprifoliaceae'', native to Northeast Asia. It was first described by Eduard August von Regel Eduard August von Regel (sometimes Edward von Reg ...

'' – Manchurian honeysuckle :'' Lonicera saccata'' :'' Lonicera schneideriana'' :'' Lonicera semenovii'' :'' Lonicera sempervirens'' – trumpet honeysuckle :'' Lonicera serreana'' :'' Lonicera setifera'' :'' Lonicera similis'' – var. ''delavayi'' – Delavay honeysuckle :''

Lonicera spinosa 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 splendida'' – evergreen honeysuckle :'' Lonicera standishii'' – Standish's honeysuckle :'' Lonicera stephanocarpa'' :'' Lonicera subaequalis'' :'' Lonicera subhispida'' :'' Lonicera sublabiata'' :'' Lonicera subspicata'' – southern honeysuckle :'' Lonicera szechuanica'' :'' Lonicera taipeiensis'' :'' Lonicera tangutica'' :''

Lonicera tatarica ''Lonicera tatarica'' is a species of honeysuckle known by the common name Tatarian honeysuckle. Native to Eurasia, the plant is one of several exotic bush honeysuckles present in North America, being considered an invasive species there. Descrip ...

'' – Tatarian honeysuckle :'' Lonicera tatarinowii'' :'' Lonicera tomentella'' :''

Lonicera tragophylla ''Lonicera tragophylla'', the Chinese honeysuckle, is a species of flowering plant in the family (botany), family Caprifoliaceae, native to Central China, where it inhabits forest, scrub and rocky crevices. Growing to tall by wide, it is a deci ...

'' – Chinese honeysuckle :'' Lonicera tricalysioides'' :'' Lonicera trichogyne'' :'' Lonicera trichosantha'' :'' Lonicera tubuliflora'' :'' Lonicera utahensis'' – Utah honeysuckle :'' Lonicera villosa'' – mountain fly honeysuckle :'' Lonicera virgultorum'' :''

Lonicera webbiana 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 xylosteum ''Lonicera xylosteum'', commonly known as fly honeysuckle, European fly honeysuckle, dwarf honeysuckle or fly woodbine is a deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and ...

'' – fly woodbine :'' Lonicera yunnanensis'' Several fossil species are known from the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first 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 means "less recen ...

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