What is wild honeysuckle, where does it grow and what is it used for?

Forest honeysuckle, or real honeysuckle, is popularly called wolfberry. The small reddish fruits have a glossy sheen and ripen at the end of July. The shrub is often found on forest edges, undergrowth and near ravines, and is widely cultivated in household plots.

What poisonous honeysuckle looks like, how it is used in folk medicine and cosmetology - read in our article.

Description of honeysuckle

Honeysuckle, common honeysuckle, honeysuckle and wolfberry (Lonicera xylosteum L.) - all these are the names of a wild shrub, a species of the genus Honeysuckle, of the Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae).

The plant was named after Adam Lonitzer, a botanist and physicist from Germany.. Initially, Carl Linnaeus planned to call it Caprifolium, since European gardeners cultivated honeysuckle honeysuckle - fragrant, climbing shrub.

Reference. Carl Linnaeus - Swedish biologist, zoologist, naturalist, founder of a unified system of classification of animals and plants.

The table provides a botanical description of the shrub:

Interesting things on the site:

When and how to plant honeysuckle in the fall

When and how to prune honeysuckle in the fall

Stages of honeysuckle care in autumn

There are other related and similar species in nature:

1. Golden honeysuckle (Lonicera chrysantha Turcz.) grows in the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin. The leaves are large, ovate. The buds are fusiform.
2. Honeysuckle Ruprecht (Lonicera ruprechtiana Regel) grows in the Amur River basin and Primorye. The leaves are oblong in shape. The buds are small, ovoid.
3. Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica L.) grows in Kazakhstan, Siberia, Altai, and the Middle Volga region. The leaves are smooth, ovate. Flowers are paired, pink. The fruits are round, orange or red, inedible.
4. Scented or goat honeysuckle (Lonicera caprifolium L.) grows in southern Europe, beyond the Caucasus, in the Crimea. The flowers are reddish or white, turning yellow at the end of flowering. The fruits are red.
5. Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) grows in the Far North within the temperate zone. The leaves are elliptical. The berries are edible, bitter-sour in taste, oblong-elliptical in shape, bluish in color, with a slight bluish bloom. The flowers are white-yellow, bell-shaped, almost regular in shape.
6. Honeysuckle climbing (Lonicera periclymenum L.) grows in Northern Europe.The leaves never grow together.
7. Georgian honeysuckle (Lonicera iberica Bieb.) is widespread in Georgia. It is distinguished by red-yellow flowers and red fruits. The wood is dense, suitable for making turning crafts.
8. Caucasian honeysuckle (Lonicera caucasica Pall.). Purple flowers. The fruits are black. The leaves are simple, lanceolate.
9. Honeysuckle Maksimovich (Lonicera maximowiczii Rupr.) grows in the Khingan mountains, near the Amur. The leaves are elliptical or oblong-ovate, dark green in color. The flowers are red-violet, grow in pairs, each hiding under its own leaf. The fruits are ovoid, bright red, glossy, grow together in pairs, and diverge at the end, like horns.

Berries are poisonous or edible

The fruits of true honeysuckle are bitter in taste and inedible.. Some sources describe them as poisonous. People call them “wolf berries”.

The fruits contain a toxic substance - the glycoside xylostein. Poisoning occurs when eating berries.

Signs:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• pain in the stomach;
• diarrhea.

Treatment: gastric lavage with a 0.1% solution of potassium permanganate or taking activated carbon at the rate of 1 tablet. per 10 g body weight.

Where does wolfberry grow?

Common honeysuckle grows in the undergrowth of mixed and coniferous forests, ravines, and near rivers. Growing area: Ural, Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Siberia. In garden plots, the shrub is cultivated as an ornamental plant.

In heavily shaded areas, honeysuckle practically does not bloom., therefore it has adapted to the vegetative method of reproduction.

Reference. In the south of Russia, common honeysuckle does not grow wild.

Uses of wild honeysuckle

True honeysuckle bushes are used in landscape design for landscaping the local area. After pruning, the plant keeps its shape for a long time and looks attractive.

The berries are not used in cooking due to its bitter taste and toxicity.

Leaves, branches and fruits are used in folk medicine and home cosmetology. Pharmaceutical companies add the plant extract to medications as an excipient.

Take note:

How to freeze honeysuckle in the form of juice, puree and whole berries

How to preserve honeysuckle for the winter in fresh and processed form

In folk medicine

Prepared from young shoots, leaves and flowers wound healing, laxatives, anti-vomiting, antibacterial, painkillers. The fruits, despite their bitterness and toxicity, are used in small quantities in homeopathy to treat the central nervous system, liver, bronchi, and gall bladder. Flowers, leaves and stems are harvested in June, berries - in September.

Infusions from dry raw materials are used for treatment of the genitourinary system, elimination of edema. In homeopathy, this plant is used for diseases of the liver, nervous system, gall bladder, as well as cough or asthma.

A decoction of flowers and leaves is used for flatulence and intestinal colic.

Poultices help get rid of mastitis, furunculosis, purulent wounds and abscesses.

A rich decoction of leaves and flowers is used for treatment of eczema and dermatitis.

Extract from the leaves is used in pharmacology as a component of mixtures for removing sputum.

A decoction of young shoots and leaves is effective for treatment of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. It is also used to gargle for purulent sore throat.

Traditional healers recommend using an infusion of leaves and shoots for the treatment of eye diseases.

Fresh crushed leaves are used to make a paste. for the treatment of poorly healing wounds. A powder is made from dry leaves and sprinkled on wounds.

Reference. Etymologists believe that the Russian name “honeysuckle” comes from the ancient Slavic words “zhi” (goat) and “molsti” (milk). The fact is that the leaves of the plant are eaten with great pleasure by sheep and goats, whose milk people have been consuming for food for a long time.

In cosmetology

In cosmetology, honeysuckle is used to prepare care products. for dehydrated, aging skin. Plant extracts have a rejuvenating, tonic effect, eliminate manifestations of rosacea and acne, smooth out a network of fine wrinkles, and lighten age spots.

Often used are the fruits and leaves of honeysuckle honeysuckle, which is high in rutin, vitamin C and flavonoids.

Harm and contraindications

Common honeysuckle berries are prohibited from being eaten. due to the high risk of poisoning.

A direct contraindication to the use of folk remedies – individual intolerance and allergies.

Conclusion

Wild honeysuckle, forest edible, real or ordinary - these are the names of one shrub. It is often used in landscape design to improve the surrounding area. The plant is easy to care for, retains its shape well after cutting, and looks attractive thanks to its white or white-yellow flowers and small red berries.

The fruits of true honeysuckle are not recommended for consumption due to the content of the glycoside xylostein, which has toxic properties.Berries are occasionally used in homeopathy to treat the liver, nervous system, gall bladder, and bronchi. Young shoots, flowers and leaves are harvested for future use. Infusions, decoctions, lotions, and powders are prepared from them for the treatment of skin diseases, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and genitourinary system.

In cosmetology, honeysuckle is used no less actively. Masks and lotions restore skin elasticity, natural shine, and whiten age spots and freckles.