Herb: Orange Honeysuckle


Latin name: Lonicera ciliosa


Synonyms: Caprifolium ciliosum, Caprifolium occidentale, Lonicera ciliosa occidentalis, Lonicera occidentalis


Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle Family)



Medicinal use of Orange Honeysuckle:

The leaves are contraceptive and tonic. An infusion has been used as a contraceptive and also as a treatment for problems in the womb. A decoction has been used in the treatment of colds and tuberculosis. A poultice of the chewed leaves has been applied to bruises. An infusion of the woody part of the plant has been drunk in small amounts, or used as a bath, in the treatment of epilepsy.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Climber

Height:
10 m
(33 feet)

Flowering:
June

Habitat of the herb:

Woods and thickets from sea level to moderate elevations.

Edible parts of Orange Honeysuckle:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Not tasty enough to be widely sought. The fruit is about 5mm in diameter. Children enjoy sucking the nectar from the base of the flowers.

Other uses of the herb:

An infusion of the stems is used as a hair shampoo and tonic to make it grow. A fibre obtained from the stem is used in making mats, bags, blankets etc. The stems were used as building materials by the native North American Indians. They were used with willow withes to reinforce suspension bridges across canyons and rivers. They were also twisted with coyote willow to lash together the framing poles of underground pit houses and to make a pliable ladder.

Propagation of Orange Honeysuckle:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 2 months cold stratification and should be sown as soon as possible in a cold frame. 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. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 7 - 10cm with or without a heel, July/August in a frame. Good percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, 15 - 20cm with or without a heel, November in a cold frame. Good percentage. Layering in autumn.

Cultivation of the herb:

Woods and thickets from sea level to moderate elevations.

Known hazards of Lonicera ciliosa:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.