Bloomipedia
Pink honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula)
Photo: joergmlpts via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Pink honeysuckle

Lonicera hispidula

Native to California

Pink honeysuckle is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

3states
13,978CA sightings*
15,804U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: California

Quick look

The perennial vine Lonicera hispidula is a species of honeysuckle known as pink honeysuckle and, less often, California honeysuckle. It is a low-elevation woodlands shrub or vine domestically grown, specifically found on the West Coast of North America.

  • It belongs to the Caprifoliaceae family. iNaturalist
  • USDA PLANTS describes it as a vine with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
  • USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 3 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
  • In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 13,978 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #54 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist

Pink honeysuckle gift ideas

Handmade pink honeysuckle gifts from independent makers.

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in May–July.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (1,780 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)
Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
NatureServe global
G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
California
Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records pink honeysuckle in 3 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Oregon, Washington.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Glenn, Humboldt, Lake, Los Angeles, Marin, Mendocino, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Plumas, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare.

More California flowers

Sources