# Winter Honeysuckle (*lonicera fragrantissima*)

Winter Honeysuckle is a colorful plant that blooms even in the cold winter months! Its sweet, fragrant flowers attract delightful butterflies and bees.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Snaps:** 2
- **Habitat:** Winter Honeysuckle can be found in gardens, parks, and along woodland edges.
- **Also known as:** Chinese Honeysuckle, Fragrant Honeysuckle, Sweet Honeysuckle

![Winter Honeysuckle](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Lonicera_fragrantissima0.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Kurt Stüber \[1\], CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lonicera_fragrantissima0.jpg)

## Appearance

The Winter Honeysuckle is a multi-stemmed shrub with arching branches. It has small, creamy-white to yellow flowers that bloom on bare stems, often before its blue-green, semi-evergreen leaves fully emerge. Its unique early bloom makes it stand out.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Dipsacales
- **Family:** Caprifoliaceae
- **Genus:** Lonicera

## Interesting facts

- Its powerful lemony scent can travel far, filling the chilly winter air!
- Native to China, it was first admired in Europe way back in 1845.
- This plant is often called "Sweet Breath of Spring" for its early bloom and fragrance.
- Though pretty, its red berries are mildly toxic if eaten by humans.

## Special abilities

- **Winter Bloom:** Winter Honeysuckle can bloom in late winter, attracting early pollinators before most other plants are active.
- **Fragrance Power:** Winter Honeysuckle has an intensely sweet, lemony scent that helps insects find its flowers on chilly days.
- **Persistent Leaves:** Winter Honeysuckle holds onto some of its leaves through winter, allowing it to start photosynthesis earlier in spring.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 200-300 cm
- **Spread:** 200-300 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late winter to early spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Common eastern bumblebee (*Bombus impatiens*) — active early, seeks nectar
- **Eaten by:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — consumes its berries

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [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.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Winter 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 Winter Honeysuckle?

200-300 cm

### How wide does Winter Honeysuckle spread?

200-300 cm

### How big are the flowers on Winter Honeysuckle?

1-2 cm

### When does Winter Honeysuckle bloom?

Late winter to early spring

### Is Winter Honeysuckle edible?

No

### Is Winter Honeysuckle toxic?

Mild

### What is Winter Honeysuckle's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Coker Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/coker-arboretum) — North Carolina, US · Zoo
- [City of Camden Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/city-of-camden-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District
- [Lake Roland](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-roland) — Maryland, US · Park

[View all places to see Winter Honeysuckle](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/winter-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*)

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Source: [Winter Honeysuckle: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/winter-honeysuckle)