Plant Profile: Lonicera flava

Taxonomy: Lonicera flava

Names

Yellow Honeysuckle

  • Photo of Lonicera flava (Lonicera flavas)

Phonetic Spelling:loh-NIS-er-ah FLAY-vah

Genus:Lonicera

Species:flava

Family:Caprifoliaceae

Yellow Honeysuckle is a native climbing vine that thrives in rocky soils found in wooded areas, slopes, bluffs, ledges, and along stream banks. With a bit of support, it can ascend a trellis, or it may spread along the ground in a natural setting, sometimes resembling a small shrub. This plant is relatively easy to cultivate, preferring conditions that range from full sun to partial shade, and it flourishes in moist sandy loam or gritty loam.

In mid to late spring, it produces striking yellow-orange flowers that emit a faintly sweet scent, drawing in hummingbirds and butterflies. This vine is an excellent choice for a bird-friendly garden, as its berries attract various birds and small mammals. However, it is not self-pollinating, so at least two plants are needed for successful cross-pollination.

Lonicera flava Feature Summary

Lonicera flava Image Gallery

Tags

#hummingbirds
#showy flowers
#deciduous
#full sun tolerant
#showy berries
#fragrant flowers
#red berries
#orange flowers
#climbing
#woody
#spring flowers
#spreading
#gold flowers
#fences
#trellises
#vines
#native garden
#summer interest
#spring interest
#pollinator plant
#twining vine
#food source summer
#vertical spaces
#food source nectar
#food source pollen
#bird friendly
#food source hard mast fruit
#butterfly friendly
#arbor
#partial shade tolerant
#audubon

Similar Plants

Lonicera flava is often confused with:

Lonicera flava Feature Summary

Attributes
Southeastern United States
AL , AR , GA , IL , KS , KY , MO , NC , OH , OK , SC , TN
Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Birds eat the berries. Moth host to bumblebee clearwing.
Perennial
Woody
Seed
Stem Cutting
Layering
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Fruit
1/4 inch round orange-red berries. Displays from July to August
Red/Burgundy
Orange
< 1 inch
Flowers
1.25 inches long occur crowded in pairs at the ends of the stems and are distinctly 2-lipped with petals flared and reflexed back. The form is not as tubular as L. sempervirens.
Gold/Yellow
Orange
2-3 rays/petals
1-3 inches
Leaves
Up to 3.5 inches long, green leaves are gray-green underneath.
Elliptical
Ovate
Oblanceolate
3-6 inches
1-3 inches
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Dry
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Clay
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Butterfly Garden
Pollinator Garden
Native Garden
Screen/Privacy
Barrier
Naturalized Area
Vertical Spaces
Butterflies
Pollinators
Songbirds
Small Mammals
Hummingbirds

Lonicera flava Attributes

Lonicera flava: Country Or Region Of Origin

Southeastern United States

Lonicera flava: Distribution

AL , AR , GA , IL , KS , KY , MO , NC , OH , OK , SC , TN

Lonicera flava: Wildlife Value

Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Birds eat the berries. Moth host to bumblebee clearwing.

Lonicera flava: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Lonicera flava: Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Lonicera flava: Play Value

Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer

Lonicera flava: Climbing Method

Clinging
Scrambler
Tendrils
Twining

Lonicera flava Fruit

Lonicera flava: Fruit Description

1/4 inch round orange-red berries. Displays from July to August

Lonicera flava: Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Lonicera flava: Fruit Color

grass
Orange
grass
Red/Burgundy

Lonicera flava: Fruit Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Lonicera flava: Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Lonicera flava: Fruit Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Lonicera flava: Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Lonicera flava Flowers

Lonicera flava: Flower Description

1.25 inches long occur crowded in pairs at the ends of the stems and are distinctly 2-lipped with petals flared and reflexed back. The form is not as tubular as L. sempervirens.

Lonicera flava: Flower Color

filter_vintage
Gold/Yellow
filter_vintage
Orange

Lonicera flava: Flower Inflorescence

Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel

Lonicera flava: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Lonicera flava: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Lonicera flava: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Lonicera flava: Flower Shape

Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel

Lonicera flava: Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Lonicera flava Leaves

Lonicera flava: Leaf Description

Up to 3.5 inches long, green leaves are gray-green underneath.

Lonicera flava: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Lonicera flava: Leaf Color

spa
Green

Lonicera flava: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Lonicera flava: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Lonicera flava: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Lonicera flava: Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Lonicera flava: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Lonicera flava: Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Lonicera flava: Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Lonicera flava Whole Plant Traits

Lonicera flava: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Lonicera flava: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Lonicera flava: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Lonicera flava: Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Lonicera flava: Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Lonicera flava: Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Lonicera flava Cultural Conditions

Lonicera flava: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Lonicera flava: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Lonicera flava: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Lonicera flava: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Lonicera flava: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Lonicera flava: Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Lonicera flava Stem

Lonicera flava: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Lonicera flava Landscape

Lonicera flava: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Lonicera flava: Design Feature

Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree

Lonicera flava: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Lonicera flava: Landscape Location

Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland

Lonicera flava: Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees