Honeysuckles are arching

shrub A shrub or 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 trees by their multiple ...

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 easte ...

. The genus includes 158 species native to northern

latitude In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic 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 t ...

s in North America,

Eurasia Eurasia ( , ) is a continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. According to some geographers, Physical geography, physiographically, Eurasia is a single supercontinent. The concept of Europe and Asia as distinct continents d ...

, and North Africa. 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 foun ...

'' (common honeysuckle or woodbine), ''

Lonicera japonica ''Lonicera japonica'', known as Japanese honeysuckle and golden-and-silver honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle native to East Asia, including many parts of China. It is often grown as an ornamental plant, but has become an invasive species i ...

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

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

'' (coral honeysuckle, trumpet honeysuckle, or woodbine honeysuckle). ''L. japonica'' is a highly

invasive species An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. The term can also be used for native spec ...

considered a significant pest in parts of North America, Europe, South America, New Zealand, 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 approximately 366 species and 113 genus, genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but most species are found in Cen ...

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 viscous, sugar-rich liquid produced by Plant, plants in glands called nectaries, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollination, pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to an ...

obtainable from its tubular flowers. The name ''Lonicera'' stems from Adam Lonicer, 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, ...

twining climbers, with a minority of shrubby

habit A habit (or wont, as a humorous and formal term) is a routine of behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. A 1903 paper in the '' American Journal of Psychology'' defined a "habit, from the standpoint of psychology, ...

. Some species (including ''

Lonicera hildebrandiana ''Lonicera hildebrandiana'', the giant Burmese honeysuckle, is a species of flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, ...

'' from the Himalayan foothills and '' L. etrusca'' from the Mediterranean) are tender and can be grown outside only in subtropical zones. The

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

are opposite, simple oval, 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 Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

but some are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

. 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, the face of a human being has a plane of symme ...

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

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 (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

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 of berries in the cul ...

containing several seeds; in most species the berries are mildly

poison A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. 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 figurati ...

ous, but in a few (notably ''

Lonicera caerulea ''Lonicera caerulea'', commonly known as honeyberry or by various honeysuckle names, is a non- climbing honeysuckle native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. The plant or its fruit has ...

'') 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 (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

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, and it was widely cultivated by the 1860s. It was first discovered in Canada in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

forests in 1976, and became invasive by 2007. ''L. japonica'' was introduced in Australia between 1820 and 1840. 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

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two diff ...

s 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 ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

: * ''L.'' × ''heckrottii'' 'Gold Flame' *''L.'' 'Mandarin' *''L.'' × ''purpusii'' 'Winter Beauty' *''L.'' × ''tellmanniana'' Other

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s are dealt with under their species names. The honeysuckle species ''L. japonica'' is grown as a commercial crop for

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

use. Honeysuckle is also used to scent Chinese teas in a process similar to

Jasmine tea Jasmine tea ( or ) is tea scented with the aroma of jasmine blossoms. Jasmine tea can have any base as the tea base; however, green, white tea and black tea are regularly used. The resulting flavour of jasmine tea is subtly sweet and highly f ...

. This was popularized in the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...

.Mair, Victor H.; Hoh, Erling (2009). ''The True History of Tea,'' ch. 9. Thames & Hudson, ISBN 978-0-500-25146-1

Phytochemicals

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 solubility, water-soluble vacuole, vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart named a chemical compou ...

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, and ...

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 compo ...

s, and

phenolic acid Phenolic acids or phenolcarboxylic acids ? are phenolic compounds and 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 nat ...

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 re ...

s and

polyphenol Polyphenols () are a large family of naturally occurring phenols. They are abundant in plants and structurally diverse. Polyphenols include phenolic acids, flavonoids, tannic acid, and ellagitannin, some of which have been used historically as ...

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 ''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 dist ...

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

Species

158 species are accepted. * '' Lonicera acuminata'' or ''Lonicera pampaninii'' – fragrant grove honeysuckle or vine honeysuckle * '' Lonicera affinis'' * ''

Lonicera alberti Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely known species include ...

'' * '' Lonicera albiflora'' – white honeysuckle * '' Lonicera alpigena'' – alpine honeysuckle * '' Lonicera altmannii'' * ''Lonicera'' × ''americana'' * '' Lonicera angustifolia'' * ''

Lonicera annamensis Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely known species include ...

'' * '' Lonicera arborea'' * '' Lonicera arizonica'' – Arizona honeysuckle * ''

Lonicera asperifolia Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus ''Lonicera'' () of the family Caprifoliaceae. The genus includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely known species include ...

'' * Lonicera × bella, ''Lonicera'' × ''bella'' – Bell's honeysuckle or showy fly honeysuckle * ''Lonicera biflora'' * ''Lonicera bournei'' * ''Lonicera bracteolaris'' * ''Lonicera buschiorum'' * ''

'' – blue-berried honeysuckle * ''Lonicera calcarata'' * ''Lonicera cambodiana'' * ''Lonicera canadensis'' – Canada fly honeysuckle, American fly honeysuckle * ''Lonicera caprifolium'' – goat-leaf honeysuckle, perfoliate honeysuckle * ''Lonicera caucasica'' * ''Lonicera cerasina'' * ''Lonicera cerviculata'' * ''Lonicera chamissoi'' * ''Lonicera chrysantha'' – Chrysantha honeysuckle * ''Lonicera ciliosa'' – orange honeysuckle * ''Lonicera confusa'' * ''Lonicera conjugialis'' – purpleflower honeysuckle * ''Lonicera crassifolia'' * ''Lonicera cyanocarpa'' * ''Lonicera deleiensis'' * ''Lonicera demissa'' * ''Lonicera dioica'' – limber honeysuckle * ''Lonicera elisae'' * ''Lonicera etrusca'' – Etruscan honeysuckle * ''Lonicera fargesii'' * ''Lonicera ferdinandii'' * ''Lonicera ferruginea'' * ''Lonicera flava'' – yellow honeysuckle * ''Lonicera floribunda'' * ''Lonicera fragrantissima'' – winter honeysuckle * ''Lonicera glabrata'' * ''Lonicera glehnii'' * ''Lonicera gracilipes'' * ''Lonicera griffithii'' * ''Lonicera guatemalensis'' * ''Lonicera guillonii'' * ''Lonicera gynochlamydea'' * ''Lonicera harae'' * Lonicera × heckrottii, ''Lonicera'' × ''heckrottii'' – golden flame honeysuckle * Lonicera × helvetica, ''Lonicera'' × ''helvetica'' * ''Lonicera heterotricha'' * ''

'' – giant Burmese honeysuckle * ''Lonicera himalayensis'' * ''Lonicera hirsuta'' – hairy honeysuckle * ''Lonicera hispida'' * ''Lonicera hispidula'' – pink honeysuckle * ''Lonicera humilis'' * ''Lonicera hypoglauca'' * ''Lonicera hypoleuca'' * ''Lonicera iberica'' * ''Lonicera iliensis'' * ''Lonicera implexa'' * ''Lonicera interrupta'' – Chaparral honeysuckle * ''Lonicera involucrata'' – bearberry honeysuckle * Lonicera × italica, ''Lonicera'' × ''italica'' * ''

'' – Japanese honeysuckle * ''Lonicera kansuensis'' * ''Lonicera kawakamii'' * ''Lonicera korolkowii'' – blueleaf honeysuckle * ''Lonicera kurobushiensis'' * ''Lonicera laceana'' * ''Lonicera lanceolata'' * ''Lonicera ligustrina'' ** ''Lonicera ligustrina'' var. ''ligustrina'' ** ''Lonicera ligustrina'' var. ''pileata'' (syn. ''Lonicera pileata'' ) – privet honeysuckle ** ''Lonicera ligustrina'' var. ''yunnanensis'' (syn. ''Lonicera nitida'' ) – boxleaf honeysuckle * ''Lonicera litangensis'' * ''Lonicera longiflora'' * ''Lonicera longituba'' * ''Lonicera maackii'' – Amur honeysuckle * ''Lonicera macrantha'' * ''Lonicera macranthoides'' * ''Lonicera magnibracteata'' * ''Lonicera malayana'' * ''Lonicera maximowiczii'' * ''Lonicera mexicana'' * ''Lonicera micrantha'' * ''Lonicera microphylla'' * ''Lonicera minutifolia'' * ''Lonicera mochidzukiana'' * ''Lonicera modesta'' * ''Lonicera morrowii'' – Morrow's honeysuckle * ''Lonicera mucronata'' * ''Lonicera myrtilloides'' * ''Lonicera nervosa'' * ''Lonicera nigra'' – black-berried honeysuckle * ''Lonicera nummulariifolia'' * ''Lonicera oblata'' * ''Lonicera oblongifolia'' – swamp fly honeysuckle * ''Lonicera obovata'' * ''Lonicera olgae'' * ''Lonicera oreodoxa'' * ''Lonicera pamirica'' * ''Lonicera paradoxa'' * ''

'' – (common) honeysuckle, European honeysuckle, or woodbine * ''Lonicera pilosa'' – Mexican honeysuckle * ''Lonicera praeflorens'' * ''Lonicera purpurascens'' * ''Lonicera pyrenaica'' – Pyrenean honeysuckle * ''Lonicera quinquelocularis'' – translucent honeysuckle * ''Lonicera reticulata'' – grape honeysuckle * ''Lonicera retusa'' * ''Lonicera robertsonii'' * ''Lonicera rupicola'' * ''Lonicera ruprechtiana'' – Manchurian honeysuckle * ''Lonicera × sargentii'' * ''Lonicera schmitziana'' * ''Lonicera semenovii'' * ''

'' – trumpet honeysuckle * ''Lonicera setifera'' * ''Lonicera siamensis'' * ''Lonicera similis'' – var. ''delavayi'' – Delavay honeysuckle * ''Lonicera sinomacrantha'' * ''Lonicera sovetkinae'' * ''Lonicera spinosa'' * ''Lonicera splendida'' – evergreen honeysuckle * ''Lonicera stabiana'' * ''Lonicera stephanocarpa'' * ''Lonicera steveniana'' * ''Lonicera strophiophora'' * ''Lonicera subaequalis'' * ''Lonicera subhispida'' * ''Lonicera sublabiata'' * ''Lonicera subsessilis'' * ''Lonicera subspicata'' – southern honeysuckle * ''Lonicera sumatrana'' * ''Lonicera taiwanensis'' * ''Lonicera tangutica'' * ''Lonicera tatarica'' – Tatarian honeysuckle * ''Lonicera tatarinowii'' * ''Lonicera tolmatchevii'' * ''Lonicera tomentella'' * ''Lonicera tragophylla'' – Chinese honeysuckle * ''Lonicera tricalysioides'' * ''Lonicera trichosantha'' * ''Lonicera tschonoskii'' * ''Lonicera tubuliflora'' * ''Lonicera tulinensis'' * ''Lonicera utahensis'' – Utah honeysuckle * ''Lonicera uzenensis'' * ''Lonicera vaccinioides'' * ''Lonicera vidalii'' * ''Lonicera villosa'' – mountain fly honeysuckle * ''Lonicera webbiana'' * ''Lonicera xylosteum'' – fly woodbine * ''Lonicera yunnanensis'' * ''Lonicera zeravshanica'' Several fossil species are known from the Miocene 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
* {{Authority control Lonicera, Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus