Hairy honeysuckle is a perennial vine in the honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae), and as the common name indicates, it is the hairiest of the honeysuckle vines. The species epithet, hirsuta, means “hairy” in Latin. This species is native to northeastern North America. It is easy to grow in full sun to partial shade, with an average-to-high level of moisture. Once established, it can take some drought. It is unfussy about soil type and tolerates alkaline soils. The plant can be pruned, but keep in mind that flowers arise from old growth. It grows quickly to 3 to 16 feet in length with hairy opposite leaves and tubular yellow flowers that bloom from early to mid-summer. The flowers darken to orange before they fall. Found trailing in woodlands and thickets, particularly along borders, clearings, and banks; often in sandy or rocky ground, and occasionally in swamps. It is primarily a northern honeysuckle that flourishes in colder regions and higher elevations, particularly on calcareous (high pH) bedrock. Nectar from the flowers attracts pollinators, and the high-sugar fruits are enjoyed by birds and small mammals. Consider this vine for a trellis or fence and for screening. It will give vertical presence (with a trellis) in a perennial border. It is suitable for a pollinator or butterfly garden or a cottage garden. Quick ID Features: Vine with opposite leaves. Hairy stems, leaves, and petioles. Small, hairy, tubular yellow flowers with prominent stamens and a thick green stigma. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. 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
Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Mountains
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 16 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Clumping
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Velvety
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Opposite, elliptic to oval, entire margins, short or non-existant petioles, blades are 2 to 5 inches long and 1½ to 3 inches wide. The leaf pair below a flower cluster is joined around the stem, forming a disk around the cluster. The pair below it on the stem may also be perfoliate. Although the margins are entire, they can be fringed with hair or cilia. The leaves are dark green above and lighter beneath and pubescent on both surfaces.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Orange
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Spike
Flower shape
Tubular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Clusters consist of 1 to 5 whorls each, with 6 stalkless flowers which start yellow and age to orange-red, and which are ½ to 1 inch long. Each flower has a long, slender tube and 2 lips, the upper broad with 4 lobes and the lower narrow and shorter than the tube, both lobes often tightly rolled under with prominent stamens and style. The outer surface is finely glandular-hairy, the inner surface is also hairy making the flower sticky to the touch.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Round to oval orange-red berry ⅓ to ½ inch long.
Bark color
Green; Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Twigs become gray-brown and hairless the second year. Older bark is gray and peels off in thin sheets.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Smooth, woody green stem with glandular-villous hairs that can take root when they touch soil.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
northeastern North America
Distribution
New England and eastern New York to southern Ontario, Minnesota, and Manitoba
Wildlife value
The sweet taste (high sugar content) and relatively low position to the ground attract non-migratory birds and small mammals. They produce fruit late in the season after most migratory birds have left the area. The flowers are of special value to bumblebees.