European Fly Honeysuckle

Lonicera xylosteum

Found in suburban forests, disturbed forests. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

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

Profile 71%

Height: 3.3 to 10 feet tall
Light: Partial shade, Full shade, Full sun
Soil moisture: Dry to moist

Lonicera xylosteum — fruit photograph — (c) Stanislav Murashkin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Bloom: April to May
Fruiting season: July

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Not yet recorded · Spread · Life cycle · Leaves

Recorded in 12 Virginia counties.

Habitats

Forests and woodlands.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

36CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Lonicera

Hemaris diffinisSnowberry Clearwing
Hemaris thysbeHummingbird Clearwing
Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Aethalura intertextaFour-Barred Gray
Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Archips negundanaLarger Boxelder Leafroller Moth
Argyrotaenia velutinanaRed-Banded Leafroller Moth, Jack Pine Tube Moth
Callizzia amorataGray Scoopwing
Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
Dysstroma truncataMarbled Carpet

Show all 36

Ectropis crepusculariaThe Small Engrailed, Saddleback Looper
Egira alternansAlternate Woodling
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
Hyppa xylinoidesCommon Hyppa
Leucania ursulaUrsula Wainscot
Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
Melanchra adjunctaHitched Arches
Melanchra pictaPainted Arches, Zebra Caterpillar Moth
Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
Orthosia hibisciSpeckled Green Fruitworm Moth, Speckled Green Quaker
Orthotaenia undulanaDusky Leafroller
Palthis angulalisDark-Spotted Palthis
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Sympistis badistrigaBrown-Lined Sallow
Uresiphita reversalisGenista Caterpillar, Genista Cbroom Moth
Zanclognatha dentataToothed Zanclognatha, Toothed Fan-Foot
Herpetogramma aquilonalis
Opostegoides scioterma

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

10BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Lonicera

Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
Ixoreus naeviusVaried Thrush
Mimus polyglottosNorthern Mockingbird
Myadestes townsendiTownsend's Solitaire
Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
Pipilo maculatusSpotted Towhee
Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Caprifoliaceae
Fruit begins: July
Fruit ends: July

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

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to May” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit begins · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Height · “3.3 to 10 feet (1-3 m) tall” · Fire Effects Information System: Lonicera xylosteum · Source botanical description; original units and scope retained
Light · “Partial shade; Full shade; Full sun (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Soil · “Dry; Moist (documented habitat)” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia

Conservation status

Virginia rank	SNA
Global rank	Not available
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source

Native alternatives

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