Lonicera canadensis aka American Fly Honeysuckle

Lonicera canadensis is a small shrub that sheds its leaves. Its common names include fly honeysuckle and American fly honeysuckle. It belongs to the honeysuckle family, Caprifoliaceae. Its native range spans eastern Canada and the north-central and eastern United States. It grows in cool, moist woods in a temperate climate. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Sources place its height between 3 and 5 feet [0.9–1.5 metres]. Virginia Tech describes the lower height, while Plants For A Future gives the upper figure. The shrub has an open form, with loose, straggling branches. Thin twigs range from silvery gray to reddish gray. They have solid pith and small, pointed buds. Older stems bear reddish-gray bark that peels into fine strips. The leaves grow in opposite pairs along the stems. Each leaf is simple, thin, and oval to narrowly egg-shaped. The upper face is bright green; the lower face is paler. Fine hairs line the edges, but both faces lack hairs.

White flowers hang in pairs from green stalks in spring. Each bloom forms a bell or funnel with five lobes. Plants For A Future gives April to May as the flowering period. Virginia Tech places flowering in late spring. Insects pollinate the flowers. The fruit forms pairs of reddish-orange berries that spread apart. Each berry is long rather than round and may taper to a point. The berries ripen from mid-summer into late summer.

In gardens, this shrub suits a sunny woodland edge. Plants For A Future recommends moist soil and a sunny site. It reports that shade reduces fruiting. The same source lists sandy, loamy, and clay soils as suitable. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soil. The listed USDA hardiness range is zones 3–7. Growers can raise it from seed, cuttings, or autumn layers. Stored seed needs two months of cold treatment before sowing. Its small size, spring flowers, and summer fruit offer interest in woodland plantings.

Plants For A Future lists the fruit as possibly edible. That wording leaves its value as food uncertain. The source reports no known hazards, but this does not establish safety for people or pets. It also records past medicinal uses of the branches, shoots, and bark. These records do not show that such treatments are safe or effective. The supplied evidence gives no species-specific pest or disease details. Plants For A Future does not flag it as weedy.