Japanese Honeysuckle: Identifying Characteristics
Habitat:
This non-native species thrives in a wide variety of habitats including fields, forests, wetlands, and all types of disturbed lands. Sun and partially shade tolerant.
Size/Form:
Japanese honeysuckle is a semi-evergreen vine that climbs by twisting its stems around vertical structures, including limbs and trunks of shrubs and small trees. No tendrils or aerial roots.
Leaves:
The dark green leaves are opposite and simple, reaching 1.25" to 3.25" in length. The leaves are ovate (but sometimes are lobed) and they have a small point at the tip of the leaf and small hairs along the margins. In cooler climates the leaves fall off in the winter but in warmer climates the leaves remain year round.
Flowers:
Flowers are tubular, with five fused petals, white to pink, turning yellow with age, very fragrant, and occur in pairs along the stem at leaf junctures. Blooms from late April through July and sometimes into October.
Fruit:
Small black fruits are produced in autumn, each containing 2-3 oval to oblong, dark brown seeds about 1/4 inch across.