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Common Name: Fly Honeysuckle

General Information

Lonicera canadensis is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 1.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

N. America - Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota.

Habitat

Cool moist woods[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Grows best in a good moist soil in a sunny position, it does not fruit so well in the shade[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[, ]. It is possibly edible[]. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The steeped branches are a very effective diuretic[].
A decoction of the shoots is used in the treatment of chancres caused by syphilis[].
The bark is sedative. An infusion has been given to children who cry all night[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 2 months cold stratification[] 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, mid summer in a frame. Good percentage[].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 20cm with or without a heel, late autumn in a cold frame. Good percentage[].
Layering in autumn[].