alpine honeysuckle
Lonicera alpigena L.
Alpine honeysuckle is a shrub of European mountain woodland, reaching about two metres in the Swiss flora’s account. Glossy leaf undersides distinguish it from other Swiss honeysuckles in the Flora Helvetica account. Info Flora: Lonicera alpigena, Flora Helvetica 2018
Botanical name
Kew accepts Lonicera alpigena L. in Caprifoliaceae, matching the catalog’s exact author and species identity. Kew POWO: Lonicera alpigena
Recognizing the plant
The leaves are broadly lance-shaped to egg-shaped, up to eleven centimetres long, with smooth edges and an abruptly narrowed tip. They bear scattered hairs and are paler below. Flowers come in pairs on a shared stalk, usually two or three times longer than the flowers themselves. The corolla is yellow near its base and reddish-brown above; its short tube opens into a two-lipped mouth. The two developing fruits become completely joined, forming one dark-red berry. Info Flora: Lonicera alpigena, Flora Helvetica 2018
Bloom window
Switzerland
Flora Helvetica records flowering from April through June. Info Flora: Lonicera alpigena, Flora Helvetica 2018
Native range
Kew places its native range in the mountains of southern central and southern Europe, extending from Spain and France east through the Alps and into the Balkans. In Switzerland it grows in mountain forests up into the subalpine zone. Kew POWO: Lonicera alpigenaInfo Flora: Lonicera alpigena, Flora Helvetica 2018
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.