Lonicera caerulea

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Lonicera caerulea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Dipsacales Family: Caprifoliaceae Genus: Lonicera Species: L. caerulea
Binomial name
Lonicera caerulea L.

Lonicera caerulea (Blue-berried Honeysuckle or Sweetberry Honeysuckle) is a honeysuckle native to throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere.

It is a deciduous shrub growing to 1.5-2 m tall. The leaves are opposite, oval, 3-8 cm long and 1-3 cm broad, glaucous green, with a slightly waxy texture. The flowers are yellowish-white, 12-16 mm long, with five equal lobes; they are produced in pairs on the shoots. The fruit is a blue berry about 1 cm diameter.

There are nine varieties, treated as subspecies by some authors:

• Lonicera caerulea var. altaica. Northern Asia.
• Lonicera caerulea var. caerulea. Europe.
• Lonicera caerulea var. cauriana. Western North America.
• Lonicera caerulea var. dependens. Central Asia.
• Lonicera caerulea var. edulis. Eastern Asia.
• Lonicera caerulea var. emphyllocalyx. Eastern Asia.
• Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica. Northeastern Asia.
• Lonicera caerulea var. pallasii. Northern Asia, northeastern Europe.
• Lonicera caerulea var. villosa. Eastern North America.

[edit] Cultivation and uses

The variety L. c. var. edulis is sometimes grown for its edible berry-like fruit. It is sold in some catalogs under the name 'honeyberry'. It is known in Russia as "Жимолость съедобная" or "Edible Honeysuckle".

[edit] References

• Germplasm Resources Information Network: Lonicera caerulea
• Flora Europaea: Lonicera caerulea