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Common Name: Orange Honeysuckle

General Information

Lonicera ciliosa is a Evergreen Climber up to 10.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western N. America - British Columbia to N. Carolina.

Habitat

Woods and thickets from sea level to moderate elevations[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Evergreen Climber
Height	10.00 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

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

Medicinal

The leaves are contraceptive and tonic[]. An infusion has been used as a contraceptive and also as a treatment for problems in the womb[]. A decoction has been used in the treatment of colds and tuberculosis[]. A poultice of the chewed leaves has been applied to bruises[].
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[].

Other Uses

An infusion of the stems is used as a hair shampoo and tonic to make it grow[, ].
A fibre obtained from the stem is used in making mats, bags, blankets etc[].
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[].

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[].