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Japanese Honeysuckle

Lonicera japonica

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in nearly ubiquitous, especially common in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain and in moist habitats.

Source 1

What its natural habitat tells you

-85
Severe harm

Not native to Louisiana. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
16–29.5 feet
Spread
3–6 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous, semi-evergreen or evergreen
Bloom
Late spring
Fruit
August to October
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Do not plant. Listed invasive in Louisiana.

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Where it grows in Louisiana

County records and the places it grows wild. Neither is a planting requirement.

61 Louisiana parishes with a record

Natural habitats

No natural habitat is recorded for this plant in Louisiana yet.

All habitats in Louisiana

Ecological relationships

Wildlife it supports

What these records mean

26CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including LA

Genus host records with ranges including LA · Lonicera

  • Hemaris diffinisSnowberry Clearwing
  • Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
  • Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
  • Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
  • Callizzia amorataGray Scoopwing
  • Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
  • Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
  • Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
Show all 26
  • Euphydryas phaetonThe Baltimore, The Black Checker
  • Harrisimemna trisignataHarris's Three-Spot
  • Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
  • Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Hyalophora cecropiaCecropia Silkmoth, Cecropia Moth
  • Hyles lineataWhite-Lined Sphinx
  • Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
  • Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
  • Leucania pilipalpisZippered Wainscot
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
  • Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
  • Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
  • Uresiphita reversalisGenista Caterpillar, Genista Cbroom Moth

Source 2

5BirdsRecorded eating Lonicera in Louisiana

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Birds whose range includes Louisiana, most records first.

Source 3

Direct food only. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No bees or Specialist bees recorded for this plant yet.

Birds that eat Lonicera 5

Diet records by plant genus, from studies across North America. Not a record from this state. Source 3

Also in its habitats

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Louisiana. Shared habitat, not food.

Widespread birds also seen here (34)

Found in many habitats here, so not listed above.

All wildlife of Louisiana

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Caprifoliaceae
Hardiness
Zones 5a–8b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow or white
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Spreads by runners
Foliage color
Green

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Sources 1, 4, 5

Also known as

Japanese Honey Suckle

Conservation status

Louisiana rankSNA
Global rankGNR
LA statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Sources 6, 7

Sources

  1. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition Fruit begins; Fruit ends; Natural habitat
  2. Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL) Caterpillars
  3. Avian Diet Database (Hurlbert Lab) (CC0 1.0) Birds that eat Lonicera
  4. USDA PLANTS Bloom; Foliage color; Growth habit; Growth rate
  5. NC Extension Plant Toolbox Flower color; Hardiness; Height; Leaves; Life cycle; Light; Soil; Soil pH; Spread
  6. Conservation source Conservation status
  7. Global and federal source Conservation status
  8. Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0 Bees
  9. Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0 Specialist bees
  10. NatureServe Explorer
  11. Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications
Each fact, its source and scope