North Carolina Wildflowers

Caprifoliaceae > Lonicera

Statewide and fairly common in various wooded habitats, this nice native honeysuckle is pollinated by hummingbirds.

The undersides of the leaves are whitish, distinguishing it in vegetative form from the introduced Japanese Honeysuckle which has green lower leaf surfaces.

Not usually found flowering in January, this individual along a brushy woodland edge was enjoying the maritime influence on climate!

This non-native, highly invasive species from eastern Asia is found statewide North Carolina in various mesic habitats from fields to forests to edges, etc.

Fragrant white flowers appear in late spring and turn yellowish with age.

Fruits are dark berries, ripening in the fall.

Native to China, this shrub occasionally escapes to woodland edges around suburban areas in NC. Leaves are fairly small and dull and opposite in arrangement.

Flowers appear in January in NC and are very pleasantly strongly sweet smelling.

Fruits (red berries) develop in spring while some flowers persist. Note also ciliate leaf margins on young leaves.

Rare at high elevations in the mountains in NC.

A good example of the importance of scientific names, this species goes by many common names, some of which overlap with other species.

Young fruit

Highly invasive exotic shrub common around some suburban areas in NC.

Leaves are widest in the middle and have an elongated "drip tip".

White flowers in the spring develop into bright red berries in the fall that are relished by birds.

Bark of old individual longitudinally shredded.