Lonicera flava

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Lonicera flava

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Kemper Code: W920

Common Name: honeysuckle
Zone: 5 to 8
Plant Type: Vine
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Missouri Native: Yes
Native Range: Southeast United States
Height: 10 to 20 feet
Spread: 3 to 6 feet
Bloom Time: April - May Bloom Data
Bloom Color: Orange-red
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low

Plant Culture and Characteristics

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Uses:		Wildlife:	Flowers:	Leaves:	Fruit:
Hedge	Suitable as annual	Attracts birds	Has showy flowers	Leaves colorful	Has showy fruit
Shade tree	Culinary herb	Attracts	Has fragrant flowers	Leaves fragrant	Fruit edible
Street tree	Vegetable	hummingbirds	Flowers not showy	Good fall color	Other:
Flowering tree	Water garden plant	Attracts	Good cut flower	Evergreen	Winter interest
Gr. cover (<1')	Will naturalize	butterflies	Good dried flower		Thorns or spines

General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Needs a structure upon which to grow and some help in twining up that structure, or it may simply become shrubby or trail along the ground. Best flowering in full sun. Not invasive like the weedy Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).

Noteworthy Characteristics:

This honeysuckle (often commonly called yellow honeysuckle) is a deciduous, woody, twining vine which typically grows 10-20'. It is a Missouri native which occurs in rocky soils in woods, slopes, bluffs, ledges and stream margins in the Ozark region of the State. Elliptic green leaves (to 3.5" long) are grayish green below and are paired along the stems, with the uppermost leaves on each stem joined at the bases (perfoliate). Two-lipped, tubular, mildly-fragrant, orange-yellow flowers (to 1.25" long) appear in whorls at the stem ends in mid-spring. Flowers give way to round, fleshy, orange to red berries (1/4" diameter) which appear in late summer. Berries are not edible, but birds love them. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to the flowers. Flava means yellow in Latin.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems.

Uses:

Train on a trellis, arbor or fence. Good vine for a native plant garden or bird garden. May be grown along the ground as a ground cover in wild or naturalized areas.