Honeysuckle

Lore & Background

Most species of Lonicera are hardy twining climbers, with a minority of shrubby habit. Some species, such as Lonicera hildebrandiana from the Himalayan foothills and L. etrusca from the Mediterranean, are tender and can be grown outside only in subtropical zones. The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 1–10 cm long; most are deciduous but some are evergreen. Many species have sweetly scented, bilaterally symmetrical flowers that produce a sweet, edible nectar, and most flowers are borne in clusters of two, leading to the common name 'twinberry' for certain North American species. Both shrubby and vining sorts have strongly fibrous stems used for binding and textiles. The fruit 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, 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 larvae of some Lepidoptera species. The spread of L. L. 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 L. × bella.

Reader's Guide

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. Cultivars of the dense, small-leaved L. nitida are used as low, narrow hedges. The species L. japonica is grown as a commercial crop for traditional Chinese medicine use, and honeysuckle is also used to scent Chinese teas, a practice popularized in the Qing dynasty. Component analyses of berries from 27 different cultivars and 3 genotypes of edible honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica) showed the presence of iridoids, anthocyanins, flavonols, flavanonols, flavones, flavan-3-ols, and phenolic acids. While sugars determine the level of sweetness in the berries, organic acids and polyphenols are responsible for the sour taste and tartness. Some 51 of the same compounds in berries are found in flowers, although proportions varied among cultivars studied. Many insects in the order Lepidoptera visit honeysuckles as a food source, including the moth Deilephila elpenor, which is especially attracted to honeysuckles and visits the flowers at night to feed on their nectar. The genus includes 158 accepted species, and several fossil species are known from the Miocene of Asia.

Did You Know?

• The name Lonicera stems from Adam Lonicer, a Renaissance botanist.
• L. japonica was introduced globally from Asia in the early 1800s and has become invasive in parts of North America, Europe, South America, New Zealand, Australia, and Africa.
• Most honeysuckle berries are mildly poisonous, but those of Lonicera caerulea are edible and grown for home use and commerce.
• The moth Deilephila elpenor is especially attracted to honeysuckles and feeds on their nectar at night.