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Common Name: Twinberry

General Information

Lonicera involucrata is a deciduous shrub that can grow up to 1.20 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 - Alaska to Mexico.

Habitat

Calcareous woods, banks of streams and swamps[] and in open coniferous forests[], usually on limestone[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	1.20 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown and very tolerant plant, succeeding in any fertile soil, and preferring a good moist soil in a sunny position[, ]. It produces less fruit when grown in the shade[]. Plants have proved to be quite wind resistant when growing on an exposed site in Cornwall[].
Plants are hardy to about -25°c[].
Closely allied to L. ledebourii[].
There are some named forms, developed for the ornamental garden[]. 'Humilis' is a smaller form and 'Serotina' is later flowering[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or dried[, , , ]. A pleasant taste[]. Not tasty enough to be widely sought[]. The only form we have tried has an incredibly bitter taste[]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

Twinberry was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a range of complaints[]. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism.
The bark is disinfectant, galactogogue, ophthalmic and pectoral[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of coughs and as an eyewash[]. A decoction of the bark has been applied to a woman's breasts to encourage milk flow[]. The bark has also been used as a dressing on burns[].
The leaves are antipruritic and ophthalmic[]. A poultice of the chewed leaves is applied to venereal sores, itchy skin and boils[, ]. A decoction of the leaves is used as an eye wash[].
The fruits are antidandruff, emetic, laxative and pectoral[, ]. An infusion is used to treat chest and stomach complaints and to cleanse the body[]. The mashed fruit has been rubbed into the scalp as a treatment for dandruff.

Other Uses

A purple dye is obtained from the fruit[, ]. It is grey when tin is used as a mordant[].
The berries are rubbed onto the scalp as a hair tonic. It is said to prevent greyness[]. (don't mix the berries with tin though!![])

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[].