Lonicera maackii
Common name:
Amur Honeysuckle
Bush Honeysuckle
Pronunciation:
lon-ISS-er-a MAK-e-i
Family:
Caprifoliaceae
Genus:
Type:
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon:
No
- Deciduous shrub, upright and spreading, to 15-20 ft (4.5-6 m) tall, twiggy. Pith of mature stems is hollow and white or tan. Leaves opposite, simple, ovate-elliptic to ovate-lanceolate, with a tapered tip, 5-8 cm long, about 1-3.5 cm wide, margin entire, base usually wedge-shaped (cuneate), rarely rounded, dark green above and lighter below, pubescent on the veins of both surfaces; petiole 3-8 mm long, glandular-pubescent. Flowers tubular, white changing to yellow, about 2.5 cm long, in axillary pairs, five petals, upper four fused, fragrant. Fruit matures in autumn; it is orange-red, red to very dark red, a berry, semi-translucent, spherical, 2–6 mm diam., with numerous seeds.
- Sun to deep shade, very adaptable. Caution: This is a highly invasive species and may quickly overtake a site by forming a dense shrub layer that crowds and shades out native species. It is a noxious weed and has been banned in some states.
- Hardy to USDA Zone 3. Native to temperate Asia; found in northern and western China, Korea, Japan and southeastern Russia.
- Amur Honeysuckle: it is found to the areas surrounding the Amur River which forms the border between the Russian Far East and Manchuria in China.
- maackii: in honor of Richard Maack (1825-1886) a Russian (actually Estonian) naturalist, geographer and anthropologist. He is most known for his exploration of the Russian Far East and Siberia, particularly the Ussuri and Amur River valleys (Wikipedia).
Click image to enlarge
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plant habit, summer flowering
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leaves and flowers
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leaves and flowers
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leafy shoot, summer
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leaves and ripening fruit
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leaves and ripe fruit
