Limber Honeysuckle Lonicera dioica

• Attributes:

  Genus:

  Lonicera

  Species:

  dioica

  Family:

  Caprifoliaceae

  Uses (Ethnobotany):

  Lonicera dioica was used by Native Americans to treat fever, tuberculosis, menstrual difficulties, kidney stones, dysuria, venereal disease, and worms and as a cathartic, diuretic, and an emetic.

  Life Cycle:

  Perennial

  Woody

  Recommended Propagation Strategy:

  Layering

  Seed

  Stem Cutting

  Country Or Region Of Origin:

  North America

  Distribution:

  throughout Canada and the United States, except in the West and Southwest.

  Wildlife Value:

  Birds enjoy the fruits. Flowers attract hummingbirds.

  Play Value:

  Attractive Flowers

  Attracts Pollinators

  Wildlife Food Source

  Climbing Method:

  Twining

  Dimensions:

  Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.

  Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.

• Whole Plant Traits:

  Plant Type:

  Native Plant

  Perennial

  Shrub

  Vine

  Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Habit/Form:

  Arching

  Climbing

  Maintenance:

  Low

• Cultural Conditions:

  Light:

  Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)

  Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)

  Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

  Soil Texture:

  Loam (Silt)

  Sand

  Shallow Rocky

  Soil pH:

  Neutral (6.0-8.0)

  Soil Drainage:

  Good Drainage

  Moist

  Occasionally Dry

  Occasionally Wet

  Available Space To Plant:

  3 feet-6 feet

  NC Region:

  Mountains

  USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:

  3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b

• Fruit:

  Fruit Color:

  Orange

  Red/Burgundy

  Fruit Value To Gardener:

  Showy

  Fruit Type:

  Berry

  Fruit Length:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Width:

  < 1 inch

  Fruit Description:

  Round to oval, bright red to orange-red berries are ¼ to ½ inch long and grow in clusters surrounded by joined upper leaves. There are 3 to 8 ovoid yellow seeds in each berry. Cold-moist stratification is necessary for germination. The optimum temperature for germination should be 86 degrees F daytime and 68 degrees F at night.

• Flowers:

  Flower Color:

  Gold/Yellow

  Orange

  Purple/Lavender

  Red/Burgundy

  Flower Inflorescence:

  Cyme

  Spike

  Flower Value To Gardener:

  Showy

  Flower Bloom Time:

  Spring

  Flower Shape:

  Trumpet

  Tubular

  Flower Petals:

  fused petals

  Flower Size:

  < 1 inch

  Flower Description:

  Red, tubular flowers with yellow stamens are arranged in whorls at the end of branches. Flowers are ½ to 1 inch long, with a long, slender tube and 2 lips, the upper broad with 4 lobes and the lower narrow. There are 5 hairy stamens with pale tips and a long, slender, hairy style with a dome-shaped stigma at the tip.

• Leaves:

  Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:

  Deciduous

  Leaf Color:

  Green

  Leaf Feel:

  Smooth

  Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:

  Gold/Yellow

  Leaf Type:

  Simple

  Leaf Arrangement:

  Opposite

  Leaf Shape:

  Elliptical

  Lanceolate

  Obovate

  Leaf Margin:

  Entire

  Undulate

  Hairs Present:

  No

  Leaf Length:

  1-3 inches

  Leaf Width:

  1-3 inches

  Leaf Description:

  Simple opposite pinnately veined green leaves, entire margins, with white undersides. Leaves below flowers are fused together like a cup.

• Bark:

  Bark Color:

  Light Brown

  Light Gray

  Surface/Attachment:

  Peeling

• Stem:

  Stem Is Aromatic:

  No

  Stem Description:

  Young stems have a waxy, bluish-white (glaucous) coating; older woody stems brown or grayish, with shredding bark.

• Landscape:

  Landscape Location:

  Vertical Spaces

  Woodland

  Landscape Theme:

  Native Garden

  Pollinator Garden

  Design Feature:

  Screen/Privacy

  Attracts:

  Hummingbirds

  Songbirds

  Resistance To Challenges:

  Wet Soil