Diervilla lonicera Mill. - Dwarf Honeysuckle


 

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Diervilla lonicera - (image 1 of 8)

 

Taxonomy

Family: Caprifoliaceae

Habitat

Dry or rocky soil of sandy woods, shady slopes, including ravines and on clay and rock slopes.

Associates

Betula papyrifera, Hamamelis virginiana, Ostrya virginiana, Solidago flexicaulis, Tilia americana.

Distribution

Newfoundland west to Saskatchewan, south to NC, TN, IN, and IA.

Morphology

Low, woody shrub to 1.2 m; twigs terete. Leaves opposite, short petiolate, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, serrate. Flowers small, yellow, in terminal cymes on new growth. Fruit a small capsule containing many tiny seeds.

Notes

Flowers late May to late August

Wetland indicator: Upland

Images 6 and 7 are of the cultivar 'Copper', which may be a hybrid between this species and D. sessiliflora. The remainder are certain to be D. lonicera. A good foliage plant and the flowers, though understated, are attractive. Needs annual pruning to remove dead stems but otherwise trouble-free. Seems to be a poorly-known species, often mistaken for true honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.) and I have come across at least one flora that omits this species for an area where it is quite common.

References

Dirr, Michael A. 1998. Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses.
5th ed. Champaign, Illiois: Stipes Publishing L.L.C.

 

Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Second Ed.
The New York Botanical Garden. Bronx, NY

 

Swink, F. and G. Wilhelm. 1994. Plants of the Chicago Region.
Indiana Academy of Science. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, Illinois.

 


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 Michael Hough © 2004