Honeysuckles (Lonicera) are arching shrubs or twining vines in the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliacea, that also includes scabiosa, weigela, and abelia. They are native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa where they are found in a variety of habitats including woodlands, pastures and disturbed areas. The plants grow up to 20′ tall an have fibrous stems that carry oval to egg-shaped leaves that are .4-4″ long, have smooth margins, and may be deciduous or evergreen . The tubular or trumpet-shaped flowers appear in clusters or pairs in early summer, and are often fragrant and two-lipped. They come in a variety of color including white, pink, red or a combination of colors. The flowers of many are attractive to pollinators including butterflies and hummingbirds and the red, blue, or black berries that follow are often attractive to birds but may be poisonous to humans. Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Honeysuckles like full sun (but some tolerate some shade), and average, moderately moist, well-drained soil in USDA Hardiness Zones 4-9 depending on the species. Plants are generally healthy but are susceptible to damage by aphids, spider mites, and powdery mildew. Propagation is by layering or stem cuttings.
The genus name Lonicera honors Adam Lonicer October 1528- May 1586), a Renaissance German botanist.
The environmental conditions of the Rocky Mountain area have resulted in at least 7 species of native honeysuckle but they may be native to other areas of the U.S. too. The honeysuckles described here are native to at least one of the states in the Rocky Mountain Area.
Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulae)
With multi-branched stems, this deciduous shrub has elliptic to ovate green leaves that are 2-3″ long and have wavy margins. In early spring to early summer pairs of tubular, two-lipped, pale yellowish-white flowers appear that are 5/8″ long and give way to edible, deep blue fruits in early summer.
Alternate Name/s: Blue honeysuckle, sweetberry honeysuckle, haskap
Native Range: Idaho, Montana and Wyoming as well as places in the Pacific Coast and Midwest
Habitat: Mountains, coast
Type: Deciduous perennial shrub
Size: 4-6′ H x 4-6′ W
Bloom Time: Early spring to early summer
Bloom Color: Yellowish white
Light: Partial shade to full sun (with afternoon shade in hot climates)
Soil: Organically-rich, consistently moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-7
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Orange Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa)
This twining climber has has opposite, oval leaves 1.5-4″ long, with the terminal pair fused to form a single disc. From late spring to mid summer whorled terminal clusters of orange flowers appear. They are tubular, two-lipped, .75-1.5″ long, and have 5 lobes. The flowers are attractive to pollinators and hummingbirds and give way to an orange-red berry less than 3/8″ across.
Alternate Name/s: Western trumpet honeysuckle
Native Range: Idaho, Montana and Utah as well as places in the Southwest and Pacific Coast
Habitat: Open woods and thickets
Type: Deciduous perennial vine
Height: 10-20′
Bloom Time: Late spring to mid summer
Bloom Color: Orange
Light: Partial shade; tolerates full sun
Soil: Fertile, consistently moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Purpleflower Honeysuckle (Lonicera conjugialis)
Lightly hairy leave are oval and up to 3″ long. Flowers are paired and appear in the axils toward the end of a branch from early to mid summer. Each flower is up to 3/8″ long, maroon to deep purple, and composed of a single lower lip and an upper lip made up of four fused lobes, with extruded stamens. The fruit that follows is a bright red inedible berry.
Alternate Name/s: Double honeysuckle, wedded honeysuckle
Native Range: Nevada as well as places on the Pacific Coast
Habitat: Moist mountain soils
Type: Deciduous perennial shrub
Height: 3-6′
Bloom Time: Early to mid summer
Bloom Color: Maroon to dark purple
Light: Sun; tolerates some shade
Soil: Average, medium moist, well-drained; drought tolerant once established
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Limber Honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica)
This vine-like shrub has arching and twining branches the crawl over neighboring vegetation. The leaves are 1-3″ long, elliptical lanceolate or bovate, and the uppermost pairs are fused around the stem at their base. Clusters of red, two-lipped, tubular flowers are arranged in whorls at the tips of the branches. Each flower is 1/2-1″ long, has yellow stamens, and gives rise to a small round to oval, red to orange berry. The flowers are attractive hummingbirds and the berries are eaten by birds.
Alternate Name/s: Glaucous honeysuckle, mountain honeysuckle, red honeysuckle, smooth-leaved honeysuckle, twining honeysuckle
Native Range: Wyoming as well as places in the Southwest, Midwest, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and New England
Habitat: Thickets, outcrops, boggy areas, rocky slopes, woods
Type: Deciduous perennial vine-like shrub
Height: 2-10
Bloom Time: Spring
Bloom Color: Red
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, medium most, well-drained; tolerates occasional dry soil and occasional wet soil
USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-5
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Yellow Honeysuckle (Lonicera flava)
This woody vine may crawl along the ground, form a small shrub, or climb a sturdy structure. The leaves are elliptical, 3-5″ long, and the uppermost pair is fused around the stem at the base. The yellow to orange flowers appear in whorls at the end of the stems in mid to late spring. Each flower is tubular, two-lipped, 1.25″ long, and gives way to small orange-red berries. The flowers attract butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators and the berries attract birds.
Alternate Name/s: None
Native Range: Wyoming as well as places in the Southwest, Midwest, and Southeast
Habitat: Woodlands and forests, margins of streams and rivers
Type: Deciduous perennial woody vine
Height: 10-20′
Bloom Time: Mid to late spring
Bloom Color: Yellow, orange
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Soil: Average, medium, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata)
The elliptic to oval-shaped leaves are 1–5 1/2″ long, have hairy margins and undersides, and tips that that narrow sharply to a point. Pairs of tubular, two-lipped flowers appear from early to mid summer. Each flower is 1″ long, yellow and surrounded by green bracts that turn orange to red as the fruits ripen. The fruit that follows is a small black berry. The flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators while the fruits provide food for birds, small mammals and bears.
Alternate Name/s: Bearberry honeysuckle, bracted honeysuckle, twinberry honeysuckle, Californian honeysuckle, black twinberry, inkberry honeysuckle
Native Range: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada as well as places in the, Southwest, Pacific Coast, and Midwest
Habitat: Moist, wooded areas, clearings and on the edges of wetlands
Type: Deciduous perennial shrub
Height: 3-10′
Bloom Time: Early to mid summer
Bloom Color: Yellow
Light: Full sun to partial shade; shade tolerant
Soil: Average, consistently moist, well-drained soil
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-10
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Utah Honeysuckle (Lonicera utahensis)
Slender, spreading branches carry thin leaves that are oval to broadly oblong and .8-3.25″ long . Tubular or bell-shaped, slightly two-lipped flowers appear in pairs on slender stalks at the leaf axils from late spring to early summer. They are 0.4–0.8 long, pale yellow to creamy white (sometimes tinged with green), and give way to small red berries that are attractive to birds and mammals.
Alternate Name/s: Red twinberry, fly honeysuckle
Native Range: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah as well as places in the Pacific Coast and Southwest
Habitat: Mid to subalpine shrub communities, wooded slopes, coniferous woods, wetlands.
Type: Deciduous perennial shrub
Height: 3.5-6.5′
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer
Bloom Color: White to pale yellow
Light: Part shade
Soil: Average, consistently moist, well-drained
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Six states are included in the Rocky Mountains area: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. The geography is diverse and includes mountains, plains, and deserts, and the climatic conditions are variable and vary with the geography. Low annual rainfall and high temperatures are typical of some parts of the area, while snowfall and low temperatures are found in other parts and the mountains of all of these states.
Six states are included in the Rocky Mountains area: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. The geography is diverse and includes mountains, plains, and deserts, and the climatic conditions are variable and vary with the geography. Low annual rainfall and high temperatures are typical of some parts of the area, while snowfall and low temperatures are found in other parts and the mountains of all of these states.