Northern Bush Honeysuckle
I photographed this native plant south of the high peaks in the Adirondacks near Newcomb, NY. I found these growing in dry, rocky soil. Light conditions varied from nearly full sun to plenty of shade. Although the common name includes ‘northern’ the plant can be found as far south as Alabama and Georgia.
Northern Bush-honeysuckle – Diervilla lonicera
The plant’s species name lonicera (Latin for ‘honeysuckle’) refers to its similarity in appearance to the genus Lonicera – the true honeysuckles.
The toothed leaves are a good clue to the identity, this is the only ‘honeysuckle’ with teeth. The plant ranges from 1 to 4 foot tall and grows in a shrub like form. The flowers are small, less than an inch long and usually yellow and occasionally reddish.
I know photographing northern bush honeysuckle isn’t much to write home about but it’s been a long time since I have identified a new wildflower (for me) and adding a new species to my ‘collection’ makes it good enough for my blog.
…and now for a completely different wildflower
I’m positive I’ve already overdone posting pics of orange hawkweed but here’s another one.
Orange Hawkweed - Hieracium aurantiacum
My lawn is full of these and other alien hawkweeds that are typically yellow. Hawkweed flowers look a lot like dandelions from a distance and the yellow ones don’t really turn me on. But the orange is pretty to my eyes and I often stop to take a closer look at the colors on the Devil’s Paintbrush.
Generally, the leaves are a good way to tell the difference between native and alien hawkweed species. Natives generally have leaves that ascend the stems whereas aliens generally form a basal rosette.
While I might not fully appreciate the beauty of yellow hawkweed flowers I do like some of their names. King Devil (a yellow version of the Devil’s Paintbrush), Rattlesnake-weed and Mouse Ear Hawkweed all sound cool to me.











