Herb: Bush Honeysuckle


Latin name: Diervilla lonicera


Synonyms: Diervilla canadensis, Diervilla humilis


Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)



Medicinal use of Bush Honeysuckle:

The leaves are diuretic. A compound decoction has been used in the treatment of stomach aches. This contrasts with a report that the leaves contain a narcotic principle, inducing nausea. The plant is used as a gargle in catarrhal angina. The root is diuretic, galactogogue, laxative and ophthalmic. A cooled infusion has been used as an eyewash for sore eyes. The bark is laxative and ophthalmic. An infusion has been used to increase milk flow in a nursing mother and as an eyewash for sore eyes.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Dry gravelly soils in woodlands.

Other uses of Bush Honeysuckle:

The plants stoloniferous habit makes it useful for soil stabilization on banks and slopes.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe if possible, otherwise in late winter or early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division of suckers in the spring. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood, late autumn in a frame.

Cultivation of Bush Honeysuckle:

Dry gravelly soils in woodlands.

Known hazards of Diervilla lonicera:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.