Honeysuckle (Lonicera Caprifolium)

These are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere.

 

Approximately 180 species of honeysuckle have been identified. About 100 of these species can be found in China and approximately 20 native species have been identified in Europe, 20 in India, and 20 in North America. 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).

 

In North America hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers on some of these plants. Honeysuckle derives its name from the edible sweet nectar obtainable from its tubular flowers.

 

Kingdom: Plantae

 

Clade: Angiosperms

 

Order: Dipsacales

 

Family: Caprifoliaceae

 

Genus: Lonicera

 

Distribution: New Zealand and US

 

Most species of Lonicera are hardy twining climbers, with a large minority of shrubby habit; a handful of species.

Leaves & Fruits: The leaves are opposite, simple oval, 1–10 cm long; most are deciduous but some are evergreen. Many of the 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 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 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. Honeysuckle is renowned for its colourful, fragrant flowers and variously colored fruit.While sugars determine the level of sweetness in the berries, organic acids and polyphenols are responsible for the sour taste and tartness.

 

Medicinal Usage: