Pronunciation: loh-NIS-er-ah BEL-ah
A variable hybrid of Morrow’s and Tatarian honeysuckles. Photo identification is tentative: the pink flowers and hairy foliage suggest Bell’s Honeysuckle, but these photographs do not conclusively establish hybrid identity.
Possible Bell’s Honeysuckle: pink flowers and foliage. Identification remains under review.
Family Caprifoliaceae · honeysuckle family
Genus Lonicera
Growth Deciduous hybrid shrub
Height Up to 20 feet
Bloom Mid- to late spring
Habitat Woodland edges, thickets and disturbed ground
Status Non-native and invasive
Observation maps show reported sightings, including planted or escaped populations. They do not define the native range.
Look for a combination: paired tubular flowers, opposite untoothed leaves and characteristics intermediate between the parents.
Flowers: often pink, aging toward yellow, but variable. Pink color alone is not diagnostic.
Foliage: leaf and young-twig hairiness varies. Close photographs of the lower leaf surface, flower exterior and stalks help distinguish intermediate plants.
Look at woodland margins, old fields and roadsides during spring flowering. Dense shrubs may also occur near wetlands.
Photograph several branches of the same plant, including fresh and older flowers, leaf undersides and young twigs. These details are more useful than a distant flower cluster alone.
This non-native hybrid occurs where introduced Morrow’s and Tatarian honeysuckles meet, including Wisconsin. It can cross again with either parent, producing variable populations.
Reported sightings are useful leads, not independent confirmation of a difficult hybrid identification.
Compare several clues together: growth form, leaf tips, hairs and flower stalks. Flower color alone does not separate the bush honeysuckles.
Lonicera maackii
Long, tapering leaf tips; flower or fruit pairs are held close to the twig.
Lonicera tatarica
Typically hairless young twigs, leaf undersides and outer flower surfaces, with longer flower stalks. Flowers may be pink or white.
Lonicera morrowii
Hairy leaf undersides, young twigs and outer flower surfaces. White flowers age to yellow.
Lonicera dioica
A native vine with upper leaf pairs joined around the stem and terminal clusters of tubular flowers.
Birds disperse the seeds in the berries. Dense growth can shade out native vegetation.
The photographs here document a possible hybrid, not a confirmed record. Additional close-ups or expert review would strengthen the identification.
The × sign denotes hybrid origin: Lonicera morrowii × Lonicera tatarica. Bell’s Honeysuckle is also called Showy Bush Honeysuckle.
Explore more species in the guide, then practice recognizing wildflowers in the quiz.
