Japanese Honeysuckle
Lonicera japonica
- Native to:
- China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan
William Rafti of the William Rafti Institute, aka Rafti Institute (en.wikipedia.org) at en.wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) . Original watermark removed by Ms. havisham (en.wikipedia.org) at en.wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) .
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Caprifoliaceae
- Genus:
- Lonicera
- Species:
- Lonicera japonica
- USDA Symbol:
- LOJA
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Vine
- Height:
- 900 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- High
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may,jun,jul,aug,sep,oct
- Bloom Colors:
- white, yellow
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★☆☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella, Puss caterpillar (Megalopyge opercularis), Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis), Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)
Reported Fauna Sightings
Bees: American bumble (Bombus pensylvanicus), Common eastern (Bombus impatiens), Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) Hummingbirds: Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) Moths:Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea), Snowberry Clearwing (Hemaris diffinis) Butterflies:Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), ⚠️Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, butterflies, hummingbirds
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fragrant:
- Yes
- Fire Ecology:
- Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire
- Fire Notes:
- Resprouts vigorously from root crown following fire or cutting; fire does not control this invasive species effectively.
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 8.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers rich soils but can adapt to various conditions
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days
- Germination Time:
- 30–90 days
- Notes:
- Seeds may have low viability; vegetative propagation is more reliable. Light may improve germination.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI