Japanese honeysuckle – Lonicera japonica

12 People Contributing    69 Observation(s)    3 place(s)

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Appearance
Lonicera japonica is a woody perennial, evergreen to semi-evergreen vine that can be found either trailing or climbing to over 80 ft. (24 m) in length. Young stems may be pubescent while older stems are glabrous.

Foliage
Leaves are opposite, pubescent, oval and 1-2.5 in. (2.5-6.4 cm) long. Margins are usually entire but young leaves may be lobed or toothed.

Flowers
Flowering occurs from April to July when showy, fragrant, tubular, whitish-pink flowers develop in the axils of the leaves. The flowers turn cream-yellow as they age.

Fruit
The small shiny globular fruits turn from green to black as they ripen. Each fruit contains 2-3 small brown to black ovate seeds.

Ecological Threat
Lonicera japonica invades a wide variety of habitats including forest floors, canopies, roadsides, wetlands, and disturbed areas. It can girdle small saplings by twining around them and can form dense mats in the canopies of trees, shading everything below. A native of eastern Asia, it was first introduced into North America in 1806 in Long Island, NY. Lonicera japonica has been planted widely throughout the United States as an ornamental, for erosion control, and for wildlife habitat.

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