Lonicera hispidula
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| Lonicera hispidula | ||||||||||||||
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| Lonicera hispidula (Lindl.) Dougl. ex Torr. & Gray |
The perennial vine Lonicera hispidula is a species of honeysuckle known as pink honeysuckle and, less often, California honeysuckle. It is a low-elevation woodlands shrub found on the west coast of the United States. It has distinctive leaves growing opposite on the stems, the uppermost pairs fused at the bases to surround the stem. At the end of the stem grow attractive pink honeysuckle blossoms. It bears spherical red fruits which are edible but bitter. The stems are hollow and sturdy and were used by the Pomo people as smoking pipes. The drought-tolerant plant is sometimes grown as an ornamental in arid regions of California. The flowers attract hummingbirds; other birds eat the fruits.
There are two subspecies, L. h. hispidula and L. h. vacillans.
