# Amur honeysuckle (*Lonicera maackii*) The Amur honeysuckle is a sweet-smelling shrub that grows tall and has beautiful flowers. It attracts butterflies and hummingbirds, making gardens lively and colorful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 46 - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Amur honeysuckle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/LoniceraMaackiiFlowers3.jpg&width=800) Photo: Taken by Fanghong, CC BY 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LoniceraMaackiiFlowers3.jpg) ## Appearance The Amur honeysuckle is a large, multi-stemmed shrub with arching branches. It has oval-shaped, opposite leaves, small white or yellowish tubular flowers, and abundant bright red berries that persist into winter. Its distinctive dense form often dominates the landscape. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Dipsacales - **Family:** Caprifoliaceae - **Genus:** Lonicera ## Interesting facts - If you cut an Amur honeysuckle stem, you might see a cool star shape inside where the pith once was! - Its bright red berries can last on the branches throughout winter, feeding birds when other food is scarce. - Older Amur honeysuckle stems are hollow inside, making them perfect tiny homes for small insects! - This plant was intentionally brought to America as a pretty garden shrub, but it secretly took over! ## Special abilities - **Super Sprouter:** Amur honeysuckle can grow leaves extra early in spring and keep them late into fall, letting it soak up more sun. - **Berry Blaster:** It produces tons of bright red berries that birds love, helping the plant spread its seeds far and wide to new places. - **Soil Suppressor:** Amur honeysuckle releases special chemicals into the ground that make it harder for other plants to grow nearby. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-500 cm - **Spread:** 200-400 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Its flowers provide nectar for bees. - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — Its berries are a food source for robins. - **Shelter:** [White-footed Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-footed-mouse) (*Peromyscus leucopus*) — Its dense thickets offer cover for small mammals. ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. - [Invasive](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/invasive): Invasive species are non-native organisms that cause harm to the environment, economy, or human health. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Do not eat the berries without asking an adult first, as some plants can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Amur honeysuckle? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Amur honeysuckle? 300-500 cm ### How wide does Amur honeysuckle spread? 200-400 cm ### How big are the flowers on Amur honeysuckle? 1-2 cm ### When does Amur honeysuckle bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is Amur honeysuckle edible? No ### Is Amur honeysuckle toxic? Mild ### What is Amur honeysuckle's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [American Baptist College](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/american-baptist-college) — Tennessee, US · Campus - [Awbury Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/awbury-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Brookside Reservation](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brookside-reservation) — Ohio, US · Park - [Camp Evans](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-evans) — New Jersey, US · Historic Site - [Camp Misty Mount Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camp-misty-mount-historic-district) — Maryland, US · Historic District - [Central Shelby Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/central-shelby-historic-district) — North Carolina, US · Historic District [View all places to see Amur honeysuckle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/amur-honeysuckle) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Amur honeysuckle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/amur-honeysuckle)