There are three types of honeysuckle – vines, shrubs
and a bush variety. Bloom times vary depending on the variety but can be
anywhere from March through to September or as late as October, and they have
an intense and sweet fragrance that attracts pollinators. The one I want
to touch on today is the climber, Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).
Smell
Though perceptible at any time of the day, the
fragrance of honeysuckle is most potent at twilight, and its aroma can permeate
the air with a heady fragrance. In its native home of Japan and Korea,
honeysuckle is indeed pollinated by night-flying hawk moths. Interestingly, our
own native moths here in Portugal are also pollinators of this highly
successful species.
It will grow well in full sun to part shade, and a
shadier location helps keep its growth under control.
This is an adaptable plant that does well in average
soil that drains well, and dryer soils are another element to limit the rampant
growth of the vine variety, which is an excellent solution for growing up
fences, walls or as a groundcover.
The climber twines thickly around any vertical
structure like a trellis, even the base of trees, and bears fragrant buttery
coloured flowers, dipped in pink. The vines gradually fade to yellow, and it is
not uncommon to see white, pink, and yellow colours all at the same time. The
flowers often produce blackberries that are mildly poisonous to humans.
Invasiveness
It’s an aggressive vine which develops into a
smothering mass of belowground runners, and above ground intertwined stems that
cover extensive areas of the ground or climb up trees for many metres. It
interferes with forestry operations and orchards and smothers native
vegetation, preventing natural successional processes by killing or weakening
young trees and preventing seedling regeneration. The fleshy fruit are spread
by birds and animals, and runners go for long distances underground. It cannot
be controlled simply by hand, but herbicides are moderately effective.
Alternative Medicines
It has a long history of being used in China and Japan
as an alternative medicine – with the flower, seed, and leaves being used for
medicine for anything from rheumatoid arthritis to the common cold. People use
honeysuckle for indigestion, bacterial or viral infections, memory, diabetes,
and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support
these uses. Ancient records refer to children sucking the tasty nectar out of
its flowers, where their medicinal properties are concentrated. Honeysuckle is
sometimes applied to the skin for inflammation and itching, and to kill germs -
but as always, consult your doctor first!
There are three native species in Portugal - first,
the Common honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum), with creamy coloured,
trumpet-like flowers that turn yellow-orange, often with a red or pink flush,
with clusters of red berries which ripen in the autumn.
Next is Etruscan honeysuckle (Lonicera etrusca) known
for its distinctly shaped yellowish to pink flowers. Its prolific blooms
attract pollinators, plus its thick and vigorous growth make it a popular
garden plant.
Native to Europe and Minorca is the Mediterranean
honeysuckle (Lonicera implexa), with flowers that vary from pink before
opening, to yellow-white. They are commonly found in Central and Southern
regions, the Azores and in a smaller region in the Northeast of Trás-os-Montes,
close to the Douro River.
You might enjoy its fragrance, but don’t kid yourself
about this exotic vine, some would call it a vigorous grower, others would call
it invasive. It is an aggressive coloniser that shades out native plants and
harms natural communities. It will threaten to out-compete and displace native
species, and will readily climb and shade out other plants, as well as sprawl
along the ground. It can become so heavy it will topple its host plant.
But the scent is unmistakable - thick and intense, but
at the same time, it's fruity and warm with hints of honey and ripe
citrus. Almost good enough to eat!