Lonicera ciliosa
Orange honeysuckle
(c) Ed Alverson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Caprifoliaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Lonicera ciliosa (Orange honeysuckle) is a native California shrub in the Caprifoliaceae family, recognized by key features: orange flowers, climbing habit, fused upper leaves.
Orange honeysuckle is a native shrub found in northwestern California and the California Ranges in forest and thicket habitats at elevations of 700 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces distinctive orange tubular flowers 16 to 40 millimeters long, arranged in short, dense spikes with up to 20 flowers in 2 to 4 whorls. Growing as a trailing or twining plant with stems 3 to 30 decimeters long, it spreads with a flexible, climbing habit. Its deciduous leaves are oval or ovate, 6 to 10 centimeters long, with ciliate edges and uniquely fused upper leaf pairs that wrap around the stem. The fruit develops as a small red, slightly glaucous berry approximately 8 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species; key features: orange flowers, climbing habit, fused upper leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Forest, thickets
Elevation: 700-1700 m
California counties: Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Shasta
Outside California: to British Columbia, Montana
Bloom period
Lonicera ciliosa blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Symphoricarpos: Lonicera flowers are tubular and swollen on one side; Symphoricarpos has symmetrical bell-shaped flowers and white berries.; vs Rhamnus: Lonicera has showy tubular two-lipped flowers; Rhamnus has tiny inconspicuous greenish flowers with 4-5 separate petals.; vs Ceanothus: Lonicera has large tubular flowers; Ceanothus has tiny flowers in dense showy clusters.; vs Quercus: Lonicera has tubular flowers and berries; Quercus has catkins and produces acorns.; vs Vaccinium: Lonicera flowers are tubular and two-lipped; Vaccinium has symmetrical urn-shaped flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lonicera ciliosa native to California?
Yes. Lonicera ciliosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lonicera ciliosa bloom?
Lonicera ciliosa blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Lonicera ciliosa grow?
Lonicera ciliosa occurs in Trinity, Humboldt, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Shasta, at elevations of 700-1700 m.
What plant family does Lonicera ciliosa belong to?
Lonicera ciliosa is in the Caprifoliaceae family, genus Lonicera.
What habitat does Lonicera ciliosa grow in?
Lonicera ciliosa grows in Forest, thickets.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.