About Lonicera flava Sims
Lonicera flava Sims is a vine that can twine around or climb other vegetation or structures, or trail along the ground, reaching up to around 4 meters (13 feet) in length. As it ages, its gray bark becomes shredded. Its leaves are simple, opposite, and have smooth margins; they measure 3–9 cm (1.2–3.5 in) long and 2–6.5 cm (0.8–2.6 in) wide, and are elliptic in shape. The uppermost 1 or 2 pairs of leaves are fused around the stem, a trait called perfoliate. The upper surface of the leaves is bright green, while the underside is paler green or gray. The flowers are yellow to orange, grow in terminal clusters, are tubular, and around 2.5 cm (1 in) long, with protruding stamens. The fruit is a red or reddish-orange berry. Lonicera flava is native to the United States, where it occurs in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. This species grows in dry to mesic upland woods and forests, along stream banks, on bluffs, and at glade margins. Its flowers bloom from April to May, and its berries develop from August to September. Hummingbirds and butterflies are attracted to its flowers, and birds and small mammals eat its berries.
