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Brown's Honeysuckle

Lonicera (loh-NIS-er-ah BROW-nee-eye)

Family: Caprifoliaceae Unknown Vine (vertical)

Brown’s honeysuckle is an artificial hybrid of Lonicera hirsuta × Lonicera sempervirens . Both parents are native to North America, but the cross was developed in Europe. It is a perennial twining, semi-evergreen to deciduous climber. The “Brown” honored by the hybrid epithet is unknown. This hybrid honeysuckle prefers partial sun, moist, fertile, loamy soil, but it is highly adaptable to a wide variety of soil and environmental conditions. It thrives in full sun but will tolerate partial sun and light, afternoon shade. If it becomes overgrown, it can be cut down to ground level and new shoots will generate. Brown’s honeysuckle has red to orange trumpet flowers that are attractive to hummingbirds and bloom over a long season. The fruits are not ornamentally significant but can be messy in the landscape and may require occasional clean-up. This is a vigorous, but not aggressive, twining vine that is a great choice for arbors, trellises and chain-link fences. Use it in a cottage, pollinator, children’s or shade garden. It is a great plant for hummingbirds. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. More information on Lonicera .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 65 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 6 - Vine (vertical) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Often confused with Lonicera sempervirens

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Poisonous; Shrub; Vine
Life cycle
Perennial; Woody
USDA zones
3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
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
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Blue; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Obovate; Obtuse; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Waxy, bluish-green leaves in summer. The leaves immediately below the flowers are joined at the base. Little color change in fall.
Fall color
Insignificant
Flower color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Flower value
Long Bloom Season
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Tubular flowers in clusters. Flowers are red to orange-red, depending on the cultivar.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Red berries in late summer and fall.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
hybrid of Lonicera sempervirens and Lonicera hirsuta
Wildlife value
This honeysuckle attracts bees, bumblebees, hummingbirds, and songbirds.
Attracts
Bees; Hummingbirds; Pollinators
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Attracts Pollinators; Colorful; Easy to Grow; Fragrance; Screening; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Berry
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Vertical Spaces; Woodland
Landscape theme
Children's Garden; Cottage Garden; Pollinator Garden; Shade Garden
Design feature
Mass Planting; Screen/Privacy; Specimen
Garden tags
#deciduous #moist soil #well-drained soil #neutral pH #orange flowers #red-orange #acidic soils tolerant #fragrant flowers #showy flowers #hummingbird friendly #bird friendly #urban conditions tolerant #poisonous fruits #full sun tolerant #arbor #black walnut toxicity tolerant #bee friendly #fast growing #rich soils #pollinator plant #red fruits #partial shade tolerant #fence #trellis #climber #screen #twining
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Poisonous to Humans; Problem for Children
Resistant to
Black Walnut; Urban Conditions
Propagation
Layering; Stem Cutting
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits
Poison symptoms
Stomach upset. Ingesting large quantities of berries may result in nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and rapid heartbeat.
Toxic principle
Saponins
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Fruits

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.