Lonicera maackii
Amur Honeysuckle
Caprifoliaceae
ExpandHabitat
- native to Manchuria and Korea
- hardy to zone 3
- Special Note: This species has demonstrated an invasive tendency in Connecticut, meaning it may escape from cultivation and naturalize in minimally managed areas. For more information, .
Habit and Form
- a large deciduous shrub or small tree
- 12' to 15' tall with a similar spread
- upright and spreading branching
- becomes leggy at the base
- shape is rounded to broad
- typically multistemmed
Summer Foliage
- opposite, simple leaves
- leaves are 2" to 3" long
- 0.5" to 1.5" wide
- ovate to elliptic leaf shape with an acuminate leaf tip
- dark green color above, lighter beneath
- leafs out very early in the spring
Autumn Foliage
- ineffective fall color
Flowers
- 1" long white flowers that fade to yellow
- flowers are fragrant
- bloom time is May into June
- flowers borne in axillary pairs
- only moderately showy in bloom
Fruit
- 0.25" berries
- ripen in October
- ripe fruit is red
- moderately showy in fruit
- birds take the fruits readily
Bark
- color is gray or tan
- exfoliates somewhat in vertical strips
Culture
- full sun is best, but tolerant of shade
- relatively free of pests
- easy to grow
- adaptable to most soils
- needs occasional pruning to thin out the center of the plant
Landscape Use
- border
- difficult sites
- screen
- use should probably be limited
Liabilities
- self sows and can become an invasive species
- somewhat weedy and a rampant grower
ID Features
- brown pith
- red berries in fall
- opposite leaves with acuminate leaf tips
- largest of the honeysuckles
- white flowers fade to yellow
Propagation
- by cuttings
- by seed
Cultivars/Varieties
'Red Rem' - Introduced by the USDA, this cultivar purportedly is resistant to Honeysuckle Aphid infestation and bears a more profuse crop of red fruit. Given the invasive tendencies of this plant, this feature may not be preferable. Also, this cultivar is reportedly seed-produced, thus it is quite likely indistinguishable from the species.