Virginia Tech Dendrology

Japanese honeysuckle Caprifoliaceae Lonicera japonica Thunb. Listen to the Latin play symbol: LOJA
Leaf: Opposite, simple, ovate to oval, 1 to 2 inches long, entire margin, sometimes lobed, semi-evergreen, light green and somewhat pubescent.
Flower: Fragrant, 1/2 to 1 inch long, white or yellowish-white long petals, appearing in late spring.
Fruit: Small (1/4 inch diameter), black berry, often in pairs, ripen in fall and persist into early winter.
Twig: Slender, initially pubescent, light brown in color developing scaly, thin bark, hollow pith; buds small.
Bark: Long, shreddy peeling strips, light red-brown to straw-colored.
Form: A scrambling, twisting vine with no tendrils or aerial roots, forms dense thickets in bushes and trees and sprawls along the ground.
 Looks like: Oriental bittersweet - false jessamine - western trumpet honeysuckle - pink honeysuckle
leaf flower fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Lonicera japonica is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. See states reporting Japanese honeysuckle.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material © 2018 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654