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Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Lonicera hispidula (Pink honeysuckle)
Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia

Lonicera hispidula

Lonicera hispidula (Lindl.) Douglas ex Torr. & A. Gray

Pink Honeysuckle, Hairy Honeysuckle, California Honeysuckle, Western Honeysuckle, Pink Chaparral Honeysuckle

Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)

Synonym(s):

USDA Symbol: LOHI2

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Native to open woods and shrublands from southwest British Columbia to southwest California, Lonicera hispidula is a member of the honeysuckle family (family Caprifoliaceae), which includes mainly shrubs, sometimes vines or herbs, commonly with showy flowers. This species is one of those peculiar twining shrubs sometimes encountered in genus Lonicera. It usually grows as a loose shrub unless its branches come in contact with something it can twine onto, like a neighboring plant or a fence; then the branches will twine up and out while the center of the plant remains a somewhat stout shrub. Some individuals, though, are more generally vine-like and will trail along the ground with little or no shrubbiness, while others will be more consistently shrubby and will hardly twine at all. Lonicera hispidula is deciduous to semi-evergreen and ranges from 3 to 20 feet high, the greatest heights reached by twining. Attractive pink, rose, or purple flowers appear in spring and summer and decorative red berries in fall.

The genus, Lonicera, is named for Adam Lonicer (1528 - 1586), a German botanist noted for his 1557 revised version of Eucharius Rösslin’s herbal. He became professor of Mathematics in 1553 and Doctor of Medicine in 1554, becoming the town physician in Frankfurt-am-Main. His true interest though was herbs and the study of botany.

 

From the Image Gallery

1 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub , Vine
Leaf Retention: Deciduous , Semi-evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Opposite
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Obovate , Ovate
Leaf Venation: Pinnate
Leaf Pubescence: Puberulent
Leaf Margin: Entire
Leaf Apex: Obtuse
Leaf Base: Cordate , Truncate
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Monoecious
Inflorescence: Spike
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Stems up to about 20 feet long.
Leaf: Green occasionally tinged with red.
Flower: Flowers 12-16 mm long.
Fruit: Red, 8 mm.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Yellow , Purple
Bloom Time: May , Jun
Bloom Notes: Though usually pink, blooms can also be muted to a white, darkened to rose or purple, or tinged with yellow.

Distribution

USA: CA , OR , WA
Canada: BC
Native Distribution: Extreme southwestern British Columbia (mainly Vancouver Island and nearby isles) to southwestern California
Native Habitat: Open woodlands and chaparral

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low , Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade , Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil pH: Acidic (pH<6.8) , Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Drought Tolerance: High
Soil Description: Dry to moist woodland soils. Tolerates clay. pH 5 to 7.
Conditions Comments: Tolerates seasonal flooding.

Benefit

Use Ornamental: Valued for its decorative flowers and berries.
Use Wildlife: Flowers attract hummingbirds. Berries attract birds.
Use Other: Hollow stems used as pipe stems by indigenous people.
Warning: Berries may be mildly poisonous if eaten. Sensitivity to a toxin varies with a person’s age, weight, physical condition, and individual susceptibility. Children are most vulnerable because of their curiosity and small size.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Attracts: Birds , Hummingbirds
Nectar Source: yes
Deer Resistant: Minimal

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Bumble Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:AGCPAKAWCBEMPGPHIMWNCNEWMVE
Status: FACU FACU
This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 7 - Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California (1993) Hickman, J.C. (ed.)

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Additional resources

USDA: Find Lonicera hispidula in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Lonicera hispidula in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lonicera hispidula

Metadata

Record Modified: 2015-06-15
Research By: TWC Staff, GDG

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