Honeysuckle is one of the most versatile ornamental vines. This evergreen, woody plant resides in the Caprifoliaceae family. It is known to produce heavenly vanilla-scented flowers that are initially but fade to yellow in spring. Its leaves are oval-shaped and are arranged in the opposite fashion.
The twining vine of honeysuckle is further divided into three subspecies on the basis of their distribution, a number of chromosomes, and color of the corolla.
- 1. Lonicera japonica var. chinensis
- 2. Lonicera japonica var. japonica
- 3. Lonicera japonica var. miyagusukiana
Honeysuckle vine can climb more than 30 ft. The honeysuckle berries are employed medicinally to support the treatment of respiratory tract infections (cold, cough, influenza, pneumonia, and swine flu), digestive tract disorders (gastroenteritis, diarrhea, and dysentery), fever, bacterial infections, viral infections, encephalitis, and boils.
The honeysuckle berries can sometimes prove to be toxic but not fatal. They might give a kid a slight stomach ache or diarrhea. However, consuming the honeysuckle berries in extremely large amounts can subject the consumer to respiratory failure, convulsions, and ultimately coma.
Honeysuckle is full of flavonoids, organic acids, saponins, and volatile oils. These biologically active ingredients are held responsible for the medicinal activity of honeysuckle.