Morrow’s honeysuckle

(Lonicera morrowii)

Conservation Status
Morrow’s honeysuckle
 
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNA - No Status Rank

SNA - No Status Rank

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
Weed Status
   
 

Restricted Noxious Weed

Morrow’s honeysuckle is listed as an invasive terrestrial plant by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

     
           
Wetland Indicator Status
     
  Great Plains

UPL - Obligate upland

     
  Midwest

FACU - Facultative upland

     
  Northcentral & Northeast

FACU - Facultative upland

     
           
 
Description
 
 

Morrow’s honeysuckle is an erect, 3 to 10 tall, perennial shrub that rises from shallow roots. It sometimes forms dense thickets.

The branches are straight and hollow. They are light green and covered with soft, fine, short hairs when young. Older branches have shaggy, grayish-brown bark.

The leaves are opposite, untoothed, oval or oblong, and 1 to 2 long. They are bluish-green on the upper surface and downy on the underside.

The flowers occur in pairs arising from leaf axils. They are white but turn yellow with age.

The fruit is a red berry.

 
     
 

Height

 
 

3 to 10

 
     
 

Flower Color

 
 

White, turning yellow

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Aside from northern bush honeysuckle, all honeysuckles native to Minnesota are vine-like, not shrubs, and have twining branches.

Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) is also a non-native species. It has white or pink flowers that do not turn yellow with age. Its leaves are entirely hairless.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Deciduous woodland borders, savannas, thickets, fence rows, urban vacant lots, railroads, roadsides. Full sun to partial shade.

 
     
 
Ecology
 
 

Flowering

 
 

May to June

 
     
 

Pests and Diseases

 
 

Honeysuckle aphid (Hyadaphis tataricae) causes a witches’ broom of stunted leaf and stem growth at the end of shoots.

 
     
 

Defense Mechanisms

 
 

Morrow’s honeysuckle plant is thought to be allelopathic, releasing a toxin in the soil that inhibits the growth of other species.

 
     
 
Use
 
 

The red dye rhodoxanthin, in the fruit of Morrow’s honeysuckle, is responsible for an unusual orange hue in the wax spots of cedar waxwings in the last 35 years.

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 22, 24, 28, 29, 30.

 
  2/19/2023      
         
 

Nativity

 
 

Native to Japan and South Korea. Introduced and naturalized in North America.

 
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
  Kingdom Plantae (green algae and land plants)  
  Subkingdom Viridiplantae (green plants)  
  Infrakingdom Streptophyta (land plants and green algae)  
  Superdivision Embryophyta (land plants)  
  Division Tracheophyta (vascular plants)  
  Subdivision Spermatophytina (seed plants)  
  Class Magnoliopsida (flowering plants)  
  Subclass Caryophyllidae  
  Superorder Asteranae  
 

Order

Dipsacales (honeysuckles, moschatels, and allies)  
 

Family

Caprifoliaceae (honeysuckle)  
  Subfamily Caprifolioideae  
 

Genus

Lonicera (honeysuckles)  
  Subgenus Lonicera  
  Section Lonicera  
       
 

Subordinate Taxa

 
 

 

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Lonicera insularis

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

Asian fly honeysuckle

Morrow’s honeysuckle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Allelopathy

The release of a chemical toxin by one plant to inhibit the growth or germination of nearby competing plants.

 

Axil

The upper angle where the leaf stalk meets the stem.

 
 
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Luciearl

 
    Morrow’s honeysuckle   Morrow’s honeysuckle  
           
    Morrow’s honeysuckle      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
 

Plant

 
    Morrow’s honeysuckle      
           
 

Inflorescence

 
    Morrow’s honeysuckle   Morrow’s honeysuckle  
           
 

Flowers

 
    Morrow’s honeysuckle   Morrow’s honeysuckle  
           
    Morrow’s honeysuckle      
           
 

Leaves

 
    Morrow’s honeysuckle   Morrow’s honeysuckle  
           
 

Stem

 
    Morrow’s honeysuckle      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
 
     
     

 

slideshow

       
 
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Other Videos
 
     
     
     

 

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Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

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  Luciearl
6/4/2019

Location: Cass County

Morrow’s honeysuckle  
           
 
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