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Lonicera ciliosa

Lonicera ciliosa: Flower
Photo by Derrick Ditchburn.

Common name:	Orange Honeysuckle	Family:	Caprifoliaceae
Author:	(Pursh.)Poir.	Botanical references:	11, 60, 200
Synonyms:	Lonicera occidentalis ((Lindl.)Hook.), Lonicera ciliosa occidentalis ((Hook.)Nichols.), Caprifolium occidentale (Lindl.), Caprifolium ciliosum (Pursh.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	Western N. America - British Columbia to N. Carolina.
Habitat:	Woods and thickets from sea level to moderate elevations[60].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Orange Honeysuckle [B,P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	ciliosa = lots of cilia;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Dipsacales. Honeysuckle family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Canada(Salish); Us(Flathead)

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen climber growing to 10m at a medium rate. It is hardy to zone 5. It is in leaf all year, in flower in June, and the seeds ripen in August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Fruit; Nectar.

Fruit - raw or cooked[105, 177, 212]. Not tasty enough to be widely sought[212]. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter[200].
Children enjoy sucking the nectar from the base of the flowers[256, 257].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Contraceptive; Miscellany; Poultice; TB; Women's complaints.

The leaves are contraceptive and tonic[257]. An infusion has been used as a contraceptive and also as a treatment for problems in the womb[257]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of colds and tuberculosis[257]. A poultice of the chewed leaves has been applied to bruises[257].
An infusion of the woody part of the plant has been drunk in small amounts, or used as a bath, in the treatment of epilepsy[257].

Other Uses

Fibre; Hair.

An infusion of the stems is used as a hair shampoo and tonic to make it grow[99, 257].
A fibre obtained from the stem is used in making mats, bags, blankets etc[99].
The stems were used as building materials by the native North American Indians. They were used with willow withes to reinforce suspension bridges across canyons and rivers. They were also twisted with coyote willow to lash together the framing poles of underground pit houses and to make a pliable ladder[257].

Cultivation details

Prefers a good loamy soil and cool moist conditions at the roots[11, 200]. Succeeds in partial shade[200].
Subject to attacks by aphis, especially in hot dry spells[11].
Climbs by twining around other plants[182].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 2 months cold stratification[113] and should be sown as soon as possible in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with or without a heel, July/August in a frame. Good percentage[78].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 20cm with or without a heel, November in a cold frame. Good percentage[78].
Layering in autumn[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
Images from the CalPhoto database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Caprifoliaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[99] Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7
Excellent and readable guide.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[212] Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers The Riverside Press 1963 ISBN 63-7093
Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses.

[256] Turner. N. J. Food Plants of Coastal First Peoples UBC Press. Vancouver. 1995 ISBN 0-7748-0533-1
Excellent little handbook about the native food plants of Western Canada. Good descriptions of the plants and their uses with colour photos of most plants.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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