Limber honeysuckle is a woody, loosely twining, perennial shrub that sprawls or climbs on nearby vegetation. It is native to subarctic North America through the central and eastern United States. It is found in boggy areas and other wet sites at high elevations in coniferous and deciduous woods and thickets, often in sandy or rocky ground. The plant is rare in North Carolina and found only at high elevations in the Mountains. It is a member of the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae). The species epithet is Latin for “dioecious” (male and female flowers on separate plants) and is based on a misinterpretation of the dried specimens examined by early European botanists. Flowers have both male and female parts. Limber honeysuckle will grow in full sun to partial shade in a variety of moist to dry soils with good drainage. It flowers more profusely in full sun, on moist soil. Limber honeysuckle is low climbing with branches arching or twining 3 to 10 feet from the plant. It can be pruned, but keep in mind that flowers will appear on old growth. This honeysuckle succeeds very well under cultivation. If given the support of a stout central stake, it will form a low, spreading, rather elegant bush. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known insect or disease problems. Powdery mildew may occur. Deer tend to avoid this plant. More information on Lonicera .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet
NC region
Mountains
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Arching; Climbing
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Lanceolate; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Simple opposite pinnately veined green leaves, entire margins, with white undersides. Leaves below flowers are fused together like a cup.
Red, tubular flowers with yellow stamens are arranged in whorls at the end of branches. Flowers are ½ to 1 inch long, with a long, slender tube and 2 lips, the upper broad with 4 lobes and the lower narrow. There are 5 hairy stamens with pale tips and a long, slender, hairy style with a dome-shaped stigma at the tip.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Round to oval, bright red to orange-red berries are ¼ to ½ inch long and grow in clusters surrounded by joined upper leaves. There are 3 to 8 ovoid yellow seeds in each berry. Cold-moist stratification is necessary for germination. The optimum temperature for germination should be 86 degrees F daytime and 68 degrees F at night.
Bark color
Light Brown; Light Gray
Stem detail
Young stems have a waxy, bluish-white (glaucous) coating; older woody stems brown or grayish, with shredding bark.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
Throughout Canada and the United States, south to North Carolina and west to the central plains.
Wildlife value
Birds enjoy the fruits. Flowers attract hummingbirds.
Lonicera dioica was used by Native Americans to treat fever, tuberculosis, menstrual difficulties, kidney stones, dysuria, venereal disease, and worms and as a cathartic, diuretic, and an emetic.