Which Honeysuckles have edible fruit?
Bob C.
Some books say all are edible, some say only red flowered ones.
Anybody got the scoop?
Thanks!
Bob C.
rca...@worldnetdotatt.net
change the word "dot" to a period to reply!
RedWitch04
>Some books say all are edible, some say only red flowered ones.
>Anybody got the scoop?
As a child I can remember my friends and I picking honeysuckle and sucking the
juice out until we couldn't drink anymore of it..that's a lot considering only
one small drop comes out of each one! We ate white and yellow/orange
honeysuckle. Didn't bother us. :)
Beth
The Truth is Out There
Gary Cooper
On Fri, 22 May 1998, Bob C. wrote:
> Some books say all are edible, some say only red flowered ones.
> Anybody got the scoop?
>
> Thanks!
>
I've never heard of eating honeysuckle fruit at all, though I'm very
familiar with the vines and flowers. If they have any "fruits," they must
be tiny.
As kids, we used to chew on the bases of the flowers for the sweet-tasting
nectar (bees and hummingbirds seem to like them, too). I don't know of any
harm, or any benefit either, caused by doing this.
A couple of years ago, though, I read that hospital emergency rooms see a
good many people who've poisoned themselves with Carolina jasmine (a.k.a.
Carolina jessamin) because they thought it was honeysuckle (if you're
familiar with both of these plants, it's obvious that these folks are
not exactly botany experts). Also, some people think they can make jasmine
tea from Carolina jasmine ...
Gary
Jenn
Bob C. wrote in message <6k2ls9$d...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>...
>Some books say all are edible, some say only red flowered ones.
>Anybody got the scoop?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Bob C.
>rca...@worldnetdotatt.net
>change the word "dot" to a period to reply!
Red? Never seen a red one, though as kids we always ate the purple ones...I
still do, on occasion, though I get odd looks...some semi-gothic kid walking
through the school courtyard picks up a purple flower, picks off a petal and
sticks it into her mouth. Definately must look weird. When I was little, I
never did care for the white honeysuckles, they always seemed rather bland.
Jenn
auda...@teleport.com
free recipes: http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/9559/
Brian Russell
I'm not sure if this is what your looking for or not. Raintree nursery
lists in their catalog a "Blue Honeysuckle" , Lonicera caerulea edulis,
which is a fruit recently developed in Russia. I believe I've also
heard this fruit referred to as "Sweet Blue Honeysuckle". The plant, and
fruit are described as blueberry-like, both in appearance and flavor,
although on a photograph on the catalog cover the fruit appears to have
longitudinal ridges like a star fruit. Except the honeysuckle has three
ridges instead of the star fruit's five. Raintree reports the plant is
hardy from USDA zones 2-7 and carries seedling plants as well as the
cultivar BLUEBIRD. Two varieties, or seedlings, are needed for
pollination.
Raintree Nursery
391 Butts Rd
Morton WA 98356
I've never ordered anything from them but their catalog is sure
nice.
Brian
Gary Cooper
On Sun, 24 May 1998, Jenn wrote:
> ...
> Red? Never seen a red one, though as kids we always ate the purple ones...I
> still do, on occasion, though I get odd looks...some semi-gothic kid walking
> through the school courtyard picks up a purple flower, picks off a petal and
> sticks it into her mouth. Definately must look weird. When I was little, I
> never did care for the white honeysuckles, they always seemed rather bland.
>
Well, I've seen red and white honeysuckle, and pink ones also, but I've
never seen a PURPLE one!
Could you be thinking of wisteria?
Gary
DGholston
>I'm not sure if this is what your looking for or not. Raintree nursery lists
in their catalog a "Blue Honeysuckle" , Lonicera caerulea edulis, which is a
fruit recently developed in Russia. I believe I've also
heard this fruit referred to as "Sweet Blue Honeysuckle.<
All honeysuckles that produce berries are edible to some degree or other. The
best one is the Lonicera caerulea var. edulis mentioned above, and the next
best is probably L. hildebrandiana or Giant Burmese Honeysuckle which has
inch-wide berrylike fruit.
Don Gholston
Gary Cooper
Any idea what they taste like?
Gary
DGholston
>Any idea what they taste like?<
The Blue Honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea edulis) has light blue teardrop-shaped
fruits. I have not eaten them, but a friend of mine who has says they have a
delicious tart/sweet quality. Burmese Honeysuckle fruits are sweet and a touch
insipid.
Don Gholston
Jenn
Hmmm, okay, I'm confused...from the honeysuckle you guys are talking about,
it seems like these are something other than the clover-like plants with the
colourful spiky flowers that taste good...
Jenn
auda...@teleport.com
free recipes: http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/9559/
DGholston wrote in message
<199806010149...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
DGholston
>Hmmm, okay, I'm confused...from the honeysuckle you guys are talking about, it
seems like these are something other than the clover-like plants with the
colourful spiky flowers that taste good.<
Hmm, yes your are right.
Don Gholston
Jenn
So what is a REAL honeysuckle? And what do I call the clover-like plant with
the spiky white/purple flowers? It seems as though they're not normal
clovers, as most clovers don't get those flowers...
Jenn
auda...@teleport.com
free recipes: http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/9559/
DGholston wrote in message
<199806010550...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
DGholston
>So what is a REAL honeysuckle? And what do I call the clover-like plant with
the spiky white/purple flowers? It seems as though they're not normal clovers,
as most clovers don't get those flowers...<
True honeysuckle refers to the genus Lonicera, upright or twining, sometimes
deciduous, vines or shrubs. The have often fragrant, tubular, white, red or
yellow flowers, which are succeeded by sweetish red berries (in most cases).
The common honeysuckle, L. periclymenum, is also known as woodbine. The name
honeysuckle is sometimes applied to other unrelated plants. Honeysuckle clover
is a common name for clover rich in nectar. Does this help?
Don Gholston
Gary Cooper
On Mon, 1 Jun 1998, Jenn wrote:
> So what is a REAL honeysuckle? And what do I call the clover-like plant with
> the spiky white/purple flowers? It seems as though they're not normal
> clovers, as most clovers don't get those flowers...
>
> Jenn
The clover-like plant sound a whole lot like clover, although we'd need
more details for a positive identification (remember that there are many,
many species of clover).
The plant I know as honeysuckle bears no resemblance to clover. It's a
climbing (and invasive) vine with dark-green oval leaves about 2" long. In
spring it has many clusters of smallish white or yellowish, sweet-smelling
flowers which are very attractive to bees (in the classic variety, the
flowers start out white and turn parchment-colored as they age). There are
also cultivars having red, orange-red, or coral-pink flowers. These
flowers are sort of trumpet-shaped, with long slender necks.
Around here (north Texas), they are very common on backyard fences and in
city parks. When the honeysuckle blooms, children pick off the flowers and
chew the bases of the necks. Each flower yields a couple of drops of
sweet nectar that does, indeed, taste something like honey. Adults always
told us not to do this, but I don't remember them ever giving a good
reason except that the vines might have been sprayed with insecticide
(honeysuckle doesn't have any pests that I know of, though).
This plant doesn't produce any fruit worth noticing, though. The
fruit-bearing "blue honeysuckle" that Don and others have written of is
obviously a different (maybe unrelated) species.
Gary
Cyndi Norman
In article <Pine.SUN.3.96.98060...@infoserv.utdallas.edu>,
Gary Cooper <big...@utdallas.edu> wrote:
> On Mon, 1 Jun 1998, Jenn wrote:
>
> > So what is a REAL honeysuckle? And what do I call the clover-like plant with
> > the spiky white/purple flowers? It seems as though they're not normal
> > clovers, as most clovers don't get those flowers...
I suspect you're talking about oxalis, though the ones I know with edible
stems have yellow flowers. It's also called Bermuda Buttercup or Sour
Grass.
Try pulling one out of the ground. If there are little bulbs on or near
the roots that come loose, you have oxalis (may take a couple attempts to
see them since they pull off the roots so easily).
> Around here (north Texas), they are very common on backyard fences and in
> city parks. When the honeysuckle blooms, children pick off the flowers and
> chew the bases of the necks. Each flower yields a couple of drops of
> sweet nectar that does, indeed, taste something like honey. Adults always
> told us not to do this, but I don't remember them ever giving a good
> reason except that the vines might have been sprayed with insecticide
> (honeysuckle doesn't have any pests that I know of, though).
I used to eat honeysuckle all the time as a child. I can think of a few
reasons why the adults told you not to do it, including pesticides. When
you suck out the honey, you are left with the flower. I'm sure a few dozen
flowers lying around the walkway make an awful mess (not that you notice
such things as a kid). Plus you got tons of kids hanging around. Also,
rhodies can be mistaken for honeysuckle and they are poisonous. Or the
adults might not have known that honeysuckle was edible so they just saw it
as weird or dangerous.
Cyndi
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Disabled, chemically sensitive, wheelchair user Organic Gardening only
_______________________________________________________________________________
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something wrong with the universe." (ST:TNG) cno...@best.com
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__________________________________________________ http://www.best.com/~cnorman
Gary Cooper
On Tue, 2 Jun 1998, Cyndi Norman wrote:
> > On Mon, 1 Jun 1998, Jenn wrote:
> >
> > > So what is a REAL honeysuckle? And what do I call the clover-like plant with
> > > the spiky white/purple flowers? It seems as though they're not normal
> > > clovers, as most clovers don't get those flowers...
>
> I suspect you're talking about oxalis, though the ones I know with edible
> stems have yellow flowers. It's also called Bermuda Buttercup or Sour
> Grass.
>
> Try pulling one out of the ground. If there are little bulbs on or near
> the roots that come loose, you have oxalis (may take a couple attempts to
> see them since they pull off the roots so easily).
>
Oxalis has clover-like leaves (what many people think of as clover or
shamrocks is, in fact, oxalis), but it has single flowers, not flower
spikes, so I think Jenn's "honeysuckle" is some other kind of clover.
Gary