[Honeysuckles and Twinberries: The Genus Lonicera West of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]

Northwest Honeysuckle, Orange Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle, Twining Vine

Lonicera ciliosa

Twining Vine, Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa - Perfoliate leaf and inflorescence of Twining Vine, Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa

A close-up image of the the terminal inflorescence and perfoliate uppermost leaves of orange honeysuckle as seen at left along the Springwater Trail west of Boring, OR.........July 21, 2023. The photo at right shows the perfoliate leaf and terminal inflorescence of orange honeysuckle along the Springwater Trail to the east of Palmblad, OR, just east of Gresham, OR.....May 22, 2023.
Characteristics:

Orange honeysuckle is an attractive flowered perennial vine with a twining nature. Its vines climb through trees and bushes to a height of up to 6 meters. The hollow twigs are blue-green when young and the leaves are opposite. The leaves are elliptical in shape with rounded to acute tips and short petiolate or subsessile at their attachment to the twigs. The leaves range from 4-10 cm long and 2.5-5 cm wide and are green on their dorsal surface and lighter blue-green below. The uppermost leaves may be completely sessile and may appear perfoliate, with the stem passing through the center of what appears to be one leaf (See photo at right).

The inflorescence is a dense, short cluster of orange-yellow to orange-red tubular flowers. The corollas range from 2.5-4 cm long and are shallowly lobed and slightly two-lipped. The tube is typically 3-4 times longer than the lips and is also swollen on one side above the base. The fruits are red and nearly 1 cm in diameter.

Orange honeysuckle makes an attractive climbing vine for the woodland garden. Its flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds.
Habitat:

Orange honeysuckle is found in open woods and thickets from sea level to moderate elevations in the mountains.

Range:

Orange honeysuckle may be found from southern British Columbia south to northern California and is found eastward to western Montana. It is especially abundant west of the Cascade crest.

Twining Vine, Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa - Twining Vine, Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa

Two close-up images of the the terminal inflorescence and perfoliate uppermost leaves of orange honeysuckle as seen at left along the Springwater Trail west of Boring, OR.........June 12, 2024.

Twining Vine, Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa - Twining Vine, Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa

Two close-up images of the the terminal inflorescence and perfoliate uppermost leaf of orange honeysuckle as seen on wooded slopes north of the meadows at Camas Land NAP to the southeast of Leavenworth, Washington.........June 5, 2015.

Twining Vine, Orange Honeysuckle, Northwest Honeysuckle, Trumpet Honeysuckle: Lonicera ciliosa

The photo above shows a close-up of the the terminal inflorescence and perfoliate uppermost leaf orange honeysuckle as seen at SnowKing SnoPark on the southern flanks of Mt. Adams.........July 1, 2005. Note that the trumpet-shaped flowers are slightly two-lipped and that the glabrous leaves have ciliate margins (the leaf edge is lined with tiny hairs).
Paul Slichter