Lonicera japonica
Japanese honeysuckle
(c) Dinesh Valke, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Caprifoliaceae · Type: Vine · Not Native
Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) is a non-native California vine in the Caprifoliaceae family, recognized by key features: largest flowers, white turning yellow, round bractlets.
Japanese honeysuckle is a naturalized, twining shrub found in the Deltaics, northern Central Coast, Southern California, and San Gabriel Mountains in disturbed places at elevations generally below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to yellow flowers with purple tints, 25 to 40 millimeters long, arranged in pairs with leaf-like bracts. Growing with twining stems that are glabrous or soft-hairy, it creates dense, tangled formations in its habitat. Its leaves are oblong to ovate, 3 to 8 centimeters long, with rounded bases and slightly acute tips. The fruit develops as a distinctive black berry, completing the plant's characteristic growth cycle.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 6 sympatric species; key features: largest flowers, white turning yellow, round bractlets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed places
Elevation: generally < 1000 m
California counties: Orange, Contra Costa, San Bernardino, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Riverside, Lake, Fresno, Marin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Sacramento, Yolo, Butte, Alameda, Santa Clara, Placer, Monterey
Outside California: abundant in southeastern United States, native to Asia
Bloom period
Lonicera japonica blooms May-Jul.
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 japonica native to California?
No. Lonicera japonica is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Lonicera japonica bloom?
Lonicera japonica blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Lonicera japonica grow?
Lonicera japonica occurs in Orange, Contra Costa, San Bernardino, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Riverside and other counties, at elevations of generally < 1000 m.
What plant family does Lonicera japonica belong to?
Lonicera japonica is in the Caprifoliaceae family, genus Lonicera.
What habitat does Lonicera japonica grow in?
Lonicera japonica grows in Disturbed places.
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.