Lonicera japonica

Common Names

Japanese Honeysuckle, Chinese Honeysuckle, Honeysuckle, Hall's Honeysuckle, White Honeysuckle

Summary

Japanese honeysuckle is a vigorous evergreen to semi-evergreen woody twining climber native to East Asia that can reach about 15–30 ft tall and 3–6 ft wide; leaves are opposite and oval; flowers are tubular and highly fragrant, white when young aging to yellow; fruits are black berries; it naturalizes widely and is invasive in eastern North America, forming dense tangles that smother understory vegetation and climb into the canopy; introduced for ornamental use and erosion control.

Prefers full sun to partial shade with 6+ hours of sun and well-drained soil, tolerating a range of soils from poor to fertile; once established, it is drought tolerant; container-friendly; propagation by layering, semi-hardwood cuttings, or seeds; spreads by seed dispersed by birds and vegetative spread via runners; pruning is essential to control spread; removal of fruits to prevent germination and disposal of material is advised; hardiness zones 4–9.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

15-33 feet

Spread

3-6 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 4-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun to partial shade; 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day is best.

Soil Type

No single ideal soil type; tolerates a wide range from mostly sand to mostly clay; prefers well-drained, fertile soil with organic matter, slightly acidic to neutral, and avoid waterlogged soils.

Soil Drainage

Moist but well-drained soil.

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

White to yellow

Bloom Time

Spring through Fall

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Rapid growth; up to 30 ft (9 m) per year

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Layering, Cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds