Limber Honeysuckle

Lonicera dioica

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Hemaris thysbe, Hemaris diffinis, Hypercompe scribonia, Hyles lineata, Hyalophora cecropia, Orgyia leucostigma, Callizzia amorata, Lacanobia atlantica, Zanclognatha dentata, Sympistis badistriga
S13+S15 10 verified Eastern NA
❄️ Winter Food Source: Red berries persist into fall and early winter, consumed by American Robin, Hermit Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Varied Thrush, Ruffed Grouse, Pine Grosbeak, Northern Mockingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Spotted Towhee, and Townsend's Solitaire. Ruffed Grouse rely on the fruit particularly heavily (5.3% of diet by volume).
S57 10 bird species at genus level; S72 Table 7-2 bird fruit service

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Globally secure (G5) and secure in Ontario (S5) but not yet ranked in Quebec (SNR). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Uncommon in both the Ottawa and Hull regions but widely distributed across eastern North America from Quebec to the Yukon.
S22 G5, S5 ON, SNR QC; S26 not SARA listed; S63 Uncommon Ottawa-Hull; S62 Uncommon Ottawa
Rarity Ranks: QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Lonicera dioica is a twining woody vine of dry to mesic forests, woodland borders, thickets, and rocky outcrops in the Ottawa Valley. It climbs over shrubs and small trees at forest edges and in clearings, often associated with mixed oak woods, cedar-fir stands, and rocky ridgelines. Listed as Uncommon in both the Ottawa and Hull floras, it favours well-drained sites on the Shield and Ottawa Valley limestone alike.
S63 Uncommon Ottawa-Hull; S62 Uncommon Ottawa; S7 forests, thickets, rock outcrops; S4 dry to wet open woods

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Pollinator Attractor, Wildlife Habitat
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [MEDIUM]: S68 6 bee associations (threshold=3)] | Wildlife Habitat: S72 Hemenway (tables: 7-2, pp. 116)]
Notes: A native alternative to invasive Lonicera japonica for garden trellises and guild vine layers. Its twining habit provides vertical structure at forest edges without aggressive spread. Tubular flowers draw hummingbirds and long-tongued bumblebees, while berries feed thrushes and grouse. Tolerates shade to full sun, making it versatile in multilayer plantings.
S4 hummingbird attractor; S61 easy from cuttings; S72 wildlife habitat; S68 bumble bee associations

Category: Cathartic, Diuretic, Urinary Aid, Gynecological Aid, Emetic, Febrifuge, Pediatric Aid, Venereal Aid, Anthelmintic, Kidney Aid
S28 Moerman 18 Drug + 1 Medicine uses across 6 Nations
Notes: Extensively used by First Nations across eastern and central Canada. Algonquin of Quebec used bark infusions as a cathartic, for menstrual difficulties, and for kidney stones. Chippewa and Cree employed stem infusions as diuretics and for urinary retention. Iroquois used vine decoctions as emetics and febrifuges for children. Meskwaki administered berry and root bark infusions to pregnant women as anthelmintics. Cree children used hollow stems as straws and pipe stems.
S28 20 ethnobotanical uses across Algonquin, Chippewa, Cree, Iroquois, Meskwaki

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: No documented food uses. Moerman records 20 ethnobotanical uses among Algonquin, Chippewa, Cree, Iroquois, and Meskwaki peoples, but all are medicinal or utilitarian rather than dietary.
S28 20 uses, 0 food category