Winter twig

Flower

The opposite, oval leaves, 3-7 cm long, are dark green above and blue green below. They have neither teeth nor hairs and are almost stalkless.

ID check

Honeysuckle is a deciduous, twining shrub climbing round other shrubs and trees up to 6 m in height. It grows on a wide range of soils in woods and hedges as well as on cliffs. It ascends to over 500 m above sea level in the mountains.

The young stems below the flowers are somewhat hairy.

The tubular, creamy-white flowers, up to 5 cm long, are arranged in terminal clusters.

The fruit is a round, red berry, which contains several seeds.

Facts

• The delightful fragrance of the flowers, strongest in the evening, attracts pollinating moths.

• The berries are relished by blackbirds, blackcaps, robins and many other birds.

• The dense tangled stems give protection for birds and make excellent nest sites.