Japanese honeysuckle, the tree of gold and silver

Japanese honeysuckle (in Latin, Lonicera japonica) perfumes our summer evenings with its citrusy blossoms. This plant, which grows wild in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family.

Japanese honeysuckle is a climbing shrub with a flexible, spreading habit. Highly branched, it can reach up to 10 meters in height and spread.

Its voluble stems wrap easily around all kinds of supports (trees, fences, trellises). In the wild, they can even choke neighboring plants. The young, reddish, slightly pubescent branches contrast with the older, brownish, hollow branches.

Japanese honeysuckle retains its green foliage allyear roundin mild climates. Elsewhere, it is semi-evergreen. The oval to lanceolate leaves are 3 to 8 cm long and 2 to 4 cm wide. Fine hairs grow on the vein and underside of the leaf blade.

Japanese honeysuckle blooms from May to October, in three successive waves. Highly fragrant, its scent is similar to that of orange blossom, attracting bees and pollinating insects. The slender, elongated tubular flowers feature a conical calyx, oval bracts and long, protruding stamens. As with wood Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum subsp. Periclymenum), their color changes over time: white when they first open, they gradually turn yellow.

After flowering, globular berries appear, first green, then black when ripe.

The toxicity of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera) remains poorly documented. It is strongly recommended not to eat the plant, and to remain vigilant in the presence of young children and pets.

While the berries can be eaten without danger by birds, they are toxic to humans and most animals. Ingestion can cause digestive problems of varying severity: diarrhoea, stomach ache, nausea or vomiting.

It would appear, however, that climbing honeysuckles, such as Japanese honeysuckle, are less harmful than certain shrubby species.