Lonicera japonica Thunb.

Japanese Honeysuckle

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Japanese Honeysuckle is an introduced woody vine in the Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). It is native to China, Japan, and Korea. In Alabama in can be found statewide. It occurs in disturbed or cut-over woodlands, in swamp forests, on fence rows, and in urban woodlands. It is a woody perennial vine climbing by twining. The vines may be up to 30 feet in length and root when in contact with the soil. The young vines are green or red in color and pubescent with glandular and non-glandular hairs. Woody stems have light tan or gray bark that peels in long strips. The leaves are semi-evergreen, opposite, petiolate, and pubescent. The leaves are ovate to lanceolate in outline and have ciliate margins. Leaves on vigorously growing stems may be pinnately lobed. The flowers are produced in pairs in the axils of the leaves on new growth. The pair of flowers are subtended by a leaf-like bract. The calyx is pubescent and has 5 triangular lobes. The corolla is bilabiate. The upper lip is 4 lobed and the lower lip is un-lobed. The corolla lobes are recurved. Flowers are fragrant and pubescent on the outside with glandular and non-glandular. In the most widespread form the corolla is white becoming yellow with age (Lonicera japonica var. japonica). In a more uncommon form the corolla is pinkish or purplish on the exterior (Lonicera japonica var. chinensis (Watson) Baker). The fruit is a black berry. Japanese Honeysuckle is considered a Category 1 Invasive Species by the Alabama Invasive Plant Council. It was introduced as an ornamental and is still sometimes sold as “Poarch Vine”. The young shoots of Japanese Honeysuckle are consumed by White-tail deer and rabbits. Dense thickets of vines provide cover and nesting space for birds and small mammals.--A. Diamond

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Not Native FAC- (NWPL)

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