Virginia Tech Dendrology

Belle's honeysuckle Caprifoliaceae Lonicera xbella Zabel [morrowii x tatarica] symbol: LOBE
Leaf: Opposite, simple, oval to ovate, 1 to 2 1/2 inches long, light green to blue-green above, slightly pubescent below.
Flower: White to pink, fading to yellow, 3/4 to 1 inch long, on a long flower stalk, appear in late spring.
Fruit: Juicy red berry, 1/4 inch in diameter, maturing in mid summer.
Twig: Slender, slightly pubescent when young, later glabrous, grayish brown, hollow pith; ppposite, short blunt buds.
Bark: Develops long shallow splits, somewhat scaly, grayish brown.
Form: A shrub up to 15 feet with a dense crown of arching branches.
Looks like: Morrow honeysuckle - Amur honeysuckle - American fly honeysuckle - Tatarian honeysuckle

Additional Range Information: Lonicera xbella is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 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; range map source information