Japanese honeysuckle is an evergreen, climbing vine.
Its multiple stems are purplish and hairy when young. The oval leaves are a lighter green on the underside than the top, and may have serrated edges in winter or conditions of low light. They arise from the stem in opposite pairs on short stalks, or stalklets. The tubular flowers, that appear from September to May, are sweet scented and are white but age to yellow. The fruit are small black berries.
Japanese honeysuckle is a perennial climbing vine that is able to tolerate a wide range of soil types, but does best on deep valley soils. It is adapted to low light, understory conditions, and can tolerate frost, wind and drought. It is capable of growing up to 15 metres per year. It is found on forest margins, scrub, wasteland, pine plantations and wetland margins. The fruit and seeds are dispersed by birds, but further spread may be due to illegal dumping of garden refuse, and by roadside maintenance machinery.
