Black Twinberry, Lonicera involucrata

About Black Twinberry (Lonicera involucrata) 28 Nurseries Carry This Plant

Add to My Plant List

Lonicera involucrata is a species in the Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle) family that is native to northern and western North America, from southern Alaska east across boreal Canada to Quebec, and south through the western United States to California, and to Chihuahua in northwestern Mexico. In California there are two recognized varieties with differing ranges. Var. involucrata has mostly yellow flowers and is found in the Sierras. Var. ledebourii has mostly red-orange flowers and is found along the coast and in the Coast Ranges from Santa Barbara County northwards. It grows at elevations from sea level to 2,900 meters. It is a large shrub that can grow 0.5-5 meter high, with shoots with a quadrangular cross-section. The leaves are elliptic, to oval-shaped, 3-16 centimeter long and 2-8 centimeter broad; they are hairy along the margins and on the underside, and have a distinctive abruptly acuminate tip. The flowers are tubular, hairy, 1-2 centimeter long, and are monoecious; they are produced in pairs subtended by a pair of reddish basal leafs 2-4 centimeter across. The fruit is a 6-12 millimeter diameter black berry containing several small seeds; it is edible but bitter and best left to the birds. In the garden this plant likes regular water but can survive on reduced watering. The flowers are welcome in summer when many other plants have finished blooming.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

1.6 - 16.4 ft tall
3 - 4 ft wide

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Flower Color

Yellow, Orange, Red

Flowering Season

Summer

Wildlife Supported

Hummingbirds and bees are attracted to the flowers. Other birds are attracted to the fruits
Hummingbird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 25 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Variable Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedonaEuphydryas chalcedona

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Genista Caterpillar Uresiphita reversalisUresiphita reversalis

Corn Earworm Moth Helicoverpa zeaHelicoverpa zea

Ashy Pleromelloida Moth Pleromelloida cinereaPleromelloida cinerea

The Small Engrailed Ectropis crepusculariaEctropis crepuscularia

Oblique-Banded Leafroller Moth Choristoneura rosaceanaChoristoneura rosaceana

Landscaping Information

Sun

Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture

Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / week once established

Nurseries

Carried by 28

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -20° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Prefers moist, sandy soil. Soil PH: 4.0 - 7.0

Common uses

Hedges, Deer Resistant, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens

Companion Plants

Trees: Fir (Abies sp.), Giant Chinquapin (Chrysolepis chrysophylla), Monterey Cypress (Hesperocyparis macrocarpa), Tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus), Pines (Pinus sp.), Spruce (Picea sp.), Cottonwood/Aspen (Populus sp.), Oak (Quercus sp.)

Shrubs: Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), Oregon Grape (Berberis sp.), Ceanothus sp., Dogwood (Cornus sp.), Silk Tassel Bush (Garrya elliptica or fremontii), Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), Currant (Ribes sp.), Huckleberry (Vaccinium sp.)

Natural Setting

Site Type

Moist places

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 9.7" - 109.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 3.91", Coldest Month: 18.4" - 53.8", Hottest Month: 39.7" - 76.2", Humidity: 0.01" - 24.55", Elevation: -12" - 11850"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Twinberry Honeysuckle

Print Plant Sign Print Plant Label

Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Black Twinberry

Lonicera involucrata

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Black TwinberryLonicera involucrata

Sign in to your Calscape Account X

Black Twinberry

Lonicera involucrata