How to Identify Japanese Honeysuckle Vs. American Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle, or lonicera, is an easily grown, hardy flowering vine that can be grown along a fence or arbor, as ground cover or on its own with no supporting structures. There are abundant varieties of honeysuckle available. Japanese honeysuckle, or lonicera japonica, is among the most invasive and requires regular pruning to avoid overgrowth and careful placement to avoid strangling surrounding vegetation. American honeysuckle, or lonicera americana, also hold the potential to be invasive, but not to the extent of the Japanese variety. Following a few simple steps can help you to easily identify lonicera americana from lonicera japonica. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Examine the leaves. The leaves of lonicera americana are oval shaped and bluish-green in color. The leaves of lonicera japonica range from 1 1/4 inches long to 3 1/4 inches long. They are deep green and shaped similar to a pointy egg or an oval with pointy ends (ovate). In warm climates, Japanese honeysuckle will keep its leaves year round.
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Study the plant's flowers. Each variety produces lovely, but very different blooms. Japanese honeysuckle produces tubular shaped flowers with petals similar to fingers on either side of the flower. The blooms are white and occur in pairs located at the junctures of the leaf. American honeysuckle's flowers start out as pink buds that unfurl to reveal creamy interiors. As the blooms fade, they often change to a pale yellow color.
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Note the date that the plant blooms. Lonicera americana does not bloom until May and will continue through November. Lonicera japonica, on the other hand, blooms earlier, from late April through July.
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Examine the plant during autumn months. Japanese honeysuckle produces small black fruit that contains 2 to 3 dark brown seeds. American varieties produce berries that range from orange to red.
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Cut into the vine. According to the Invasive Plants Atlas of New England, invading varieties such as lonicera japonica will have hollow stems. Varieties that are native to North America will have solid vine stems.
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Tips & Warnings
In warm climates, both varieties of honeysuckle will keep the leaves year round. In cooler climates, honeysuckle will drop its leaves.
There are several varieties of American honeysuckle. This article is focused on lonicera americana, which grows to be 10 to 20 feet tall.
If you have Japanese honeysuckle on your property, pruning it each year can help to control growth. It can be invasive if left unattended.
Both varieties are low maintenance and produce fragrant blooms. Honeysuckle is resistant to disease and insects and thrives in sun to partial shade.
