Native Plants

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Tuesday - May 21, 2013

From: Lufkin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Edible Plants, Vines
Title: Are berries of coral honeysuckle edible from Lufkin TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Are the berries of coral honeysuckle edible?

ANSWER:

As you can see from this USDA Plant Profile Map, Lonicera sempervirens (Coral honeysuckle) grows natively in Angelina County. We could find no references anywhere saying the berries were poisonous, but did find this line on our own webpage on the plant:

"Use Medicinal: Dried and smoked for asthma, leaves ground by chewing and applied to bee stings. (Weiner) Leaves make a decoction for sore throats and coughs."

We can't find any information, either, on whether they are worth eating; that is, they may be edible but not delicious. Wild birds, though, think they are wonderful!

From the Image Gallery

Coral honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens