Lonicera interrupta
Chaparral honeysuckle
(c) Brian Finzel, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Brian Finzel · licence
Family: Caprifoliaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Lonicera interrupta (Chaparral honeysuckle) is a native California shrub in the Caprifoliaceae family, recognized by key features: rigid woody trunk, dry habitats, cream-yellow flowers.
Chaparral honeysuckle is a California native shrub found in northwestern California, western Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, northern Sacramento Valley, central western, and southwestern California regions in dry slopes, ridges, floodplains, oak woodland, and chaparral at elevations of 240 to 1,400 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces cream-yellow flowers in long, interrupted spikes with deeply divided, strongly two-lipped corollas about 8 to 10 millimeters long. Growing with a rigid woody trunk approximately 3 decimeters tall and branches that climb or sprawl, it develops an erect habit with glabrous or slightly hairy foliage. Its leaves are elliptic to round, 2 to 2.5 centimeters long, with the upper 1 to 3 pairs uniquely fused around the stem, featuring bases that taper to rounded edges. The fruit develops as a bright red structure approximately 10 millimeters long, adding visual interest to the plant's distinctive form.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 13 sympatric species; key features: rigid woody trunk, dry habitats, cream-yellow flowers
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry slopes, ridges, floodplains, oak woodland, chaparral
Elevation: 240-1400 m
California counties: Fresno, Shasta, Kern, San Bernardino, Amador, Modoc, Tulare, Nevada, San Luis Obispo, Siskiyou, Riverside, Los Angeles, Del Norte, San Benito, Ventura, Tuolumne, Butte, Trinity, Monterey, Placer, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Mariposa, Mendocino, Lake, Calaveras, San Diego, Alpine, Santa Barbara, Madera, El Dorado, Glenn, Contra Costa, Humboldt, Orange, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Sutter, Alameda, Napa, Tehama, Colusa, San Mateo, Yuba, Yolo, Sonoma
Outside California: Arizona
Bloom period
Lonicera interrupta blooms Apr-May.
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 interrupta native to California?
Yes. Lonicera interrupta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Lonicera interrupta bloom?
Lonicera interrupta blooms Apr-May.
Where in California does Lonicera interrupta grow?
Lonicera interrupta occurs in Fresno, Shasta, Kern, San Bernardino, Amador, Modoc, Tulare, Nevada and other counties, at elevations of 240-1400 m.
What plant family does Lonicera interrupta belong to?
Lonicera interrupta is in the Caprifoliaceae family, genus Lonicera.
What habitat does Lonicera interrupta grow in?
Lonicera interrupta grows in dry slopes, ridges, floodplains, oak woodland, chaparral.
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.