# honeysuckle family (*Caprifoliaceae*) Honeysuckles are sweet-smelling shrubs that have beautiful flowers. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds, making gardens lively and colorful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Forests - **Also known as:** Honeyflower ![honeysuckle family](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Honeysuckle_w_y.jpg&width=800) Photo: Koyaanis Qatsi at English Wikipedia, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Honeysuckle_w_y.jpg) ## Appearance The honeysuckle family has beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers, often in clusters, ranging from white and yellow to pink and red. Many grow as climbing vines or bushy shrubs, featuring pairs of oval leaves. Their unique flower shape makes them stand out visually. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Dipsacales - **Family:** Caprifoliaceae ## Interesting facts - Certain honeysuckle leaves grow so close to the stem that they look like they're giving the stem a hug! - Hummingbirds love the tubular flowers of honeysuckle, sipping the sugary nectar with their long, thin beaks. - Some honeysuckle flowers change color as they age, signaling to pollinators which ones still have fresh nectar! - The sweet scent of honeysuckle can be detected by humans from many meters away, especially on a warm evening. ## Special abilities - **Fragrant Attraction:** Honeysuckle family flowers release a powerful, sweet scent, especially at night, to attract moths and other nocturnal pollinators from far away. - **Climbing Conquerors:** Many honeysuckles have twining stems that can rapidly climb trees and structures, helping them reach sunlight above other plants. - **Nectar Beacon:** Their tube-shaped flowers hold sweet nectar deep inside, guiding long-tongued insects and hummingbirds directly to the pollen. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-1000 cm - **Spread:** 50-500 cm - **Flower Size:** 1-6 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to late summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** common bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — collects nectar and pollen from flowers. - **Pollinates:** [Ruby-throated Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — feeds on nectar from tubular flowers. - **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — eats the small, colorful berries for food. ## 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. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [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. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always ask an adult before picking flowers, and never eat anything without checking first! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify honeysuckle family? 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 honeysuckle family? 50-1000 cm ### How wide does honeysuckle family spread? 50-500 cm ### How big are the flowers on honeysuckle family? 1-6 cm ### When does honeysuckle family bloom? Late spring to late summer ### Is honeysuckle family edible? No ### Is honeysuckle family toxic? Mild ### What is honeysuckle family's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Denton Hill State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/denton-hill-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park ## 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: [Honeysuckle Family: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/honeysuckle-family)