Twinberry, Twinberry honeysuckle
Lonicera involucrata

Family: Caprifoliaceae

What it is like

Lonicera involucrata is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1.2 m (4ft) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4 and is not frost tender. It is in flower in May, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 1.2

Where it is found

Calcareous woods, banks of streams and swamps and in open coniferous forests, usually on limestone.

Western N. America - Alaska to Mexico.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Fruit - raw or dried. A pleasant taste. Not tasty enough to be widely sought. The only form we have tried has an incredibly bitter taste. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter.

Medicine

Rating: 2

Twinberry was employed medicinally by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a range of complaints. It is little, if at all, used in modern herbalism. The bark is disinfectant, galactogogue, ophthalmic and pectoral. A decoction is used in the treatment of coughs and as an eyewash. A decoction of the bark has been applied to a woman's breasts to encourage milk flow. The bark has also been used as a dressing on burns. The leaves are antipruritic and ophthalmic. A poultice of the chewed leaves is applied to venereal sores, itchy skin and boils. A decoction of the leaves is used as an eye wash. The fruits are antidandruff, emetic, laxative and pectoral. An infusion is used to treat chest and stomach complaints and to cleanse the body. The mashed fruit has been rubbed into the scalp as a treatment for dandruff.

Antidandruff: Treats dandruff.

Antipruritic: Treats itching of the skin.

Disinfectant: Used for cleaning wounds.

Emetic: Induces vomiting.

Galactogogue: Promotes the flow of milk in a nursing mother.

Laxative: Stimulates bowel movements in a fairly gentle manner.

Ophthalmic: Treats eye complaints.

Pectoral: Relieves respiratory diseases, a remedy for chest diseases.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating: 2

A purple dye is obtained from the fruit. It is grey when tin is used as a mordant. The berries are rubbed onto the scalp as a hair tonic. It is said to prevent greyness. (don't mix the berries with tin though!!)

Disinfectant: Plants used for disinfecting.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Hair: Plants used as hair shampoos, tonics, to treat balding etc.

How it is grown

An easily grown and very tolerant plant, succeeding in any fertile soil, and preferring a good moist soil in a sunny position. It produces less fruit when grown in the shade. Plants have proved to be quite wind resistant when growing on an exposed site in Cornwall. Plants are hardy to about -25°c. Closely allied to L. ledebourii. There are some named forms, developed for the ornamental garden. 'Humilis' is a smaller form and 'Serotina' is later flowering.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth: Medium

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Xylosteum involucratum.