# Honeysuckle, anyone harvesting or using it?



## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

So, I was out today in the yard and see an incredible crop of Honeysuckle flowers. They are not really stinky yet (stinky in a good way) but tons of them around. Not really 'sweet' yet either, if you pull and suck the drop of 'honey' from the flowers. I am talking about the 'invasive' Japanese variety which infests the Southeast.

Question is: Does anyone harvest and use them for anything? I was thinking of trying a few small batches of Honeysuckle wine. Maybe like 2 liter batches using several different recipes. One batch with the glass jar full, a small handful of raisings a slice of orange. Another pack them in, Another loose with two handfuls of raisins... experimenting if you will.

How about drying for tea/medicinal use? Flowers, leaves, stems are all apparently useful. Should I only harvest the white flowers, yellow too, does it matter? Should I go for the ready to open blossoms over the flowers? Morning versus afternoon? I picked some in the morning and the 'honey' was not all that sweet. Just now I went out and got some more, they were much more fragrant and sweeter. Most medicinal herbs I harvest in the morning, just wondering on these.

While sitting on the back deck, after making the rounds, I thought about cutting a bush which was growing onto the deck railing. It was LOADED with white and yellow flowers so... poured an adult beverage and took to picking them. It was about as tedious as harvesting any herb flowers, Mullein, Chamomile... But still fun and satisfying! Unlike harvesting other flowers, you could bring a chair out for this! Pick all you can reach then poke just under the canopy and pick for a while longer!!

I have read through my books and on the net. Just asking for personal experiences.

For information. I spent about two adult beverages picking today, maybe an hour and a half to total. I hardly put a dent in what is available and ended up with... As a measure... Three 9" paper plates piled high and one maybe 3" tall as a harvest That is more descriptive than saying I filled my 'collection jug' once and it took two drying screens to hold them all. The jug filled fast to about half way then stopped as the weight of the flowers compressed those below them. It took FOREVER to get it topped off after that.


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## machinist (Jul 4, 2012)

*Antiviral Properties*

I have read several places that honeysuckle is combined with Forsythia blossoms in Chinese medicine for upper respiratory ailments. 
http://herbalwriter.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/hello-world/

We have used it with success in that way, drying the blossoms of each, then use equal parts of the dried herbs to make tea. We alternated doses of that with Black Elderberry tea for flu and colds and it knocks it out in a few days.

One particularly vicious flu strain a few years ago had people off work for 2 weeks, came back for a few days, then off again for 2 more weeks, rinse and repeat several times. Wife and I caught it, but did the teas and were up and going after 3 or 4 days, then finished with the flu for good in about 2 weeks.

Nothing the doctors had seemed to do any good at all for that particular strain.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

For anyone that does not have this knowledge:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5746509_honeysuckle-poisonous_.html

There are over 600 varieties of honeysuckle.
There is one that is sold for the blue berries as a fruit bush.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

It is too late for Forsythia this year and I don't have any here. I do know of a couple abandoned older rural homes that have some bushes though, for next year! Seems like it would be a similar harvest, LOTS of blossoms just standing in one place.

I didn't mention my harvesting gear!

I take 2-liter soda bottles and cut the tops off, so they are a consistent diameter. About a half inch below the edge I melt (16D nail and heat) a hole in them. I attach one of the key ring things in each one. I have a 'necklace' (actually a LOT of them) from the electronic card readers, magnetic security card holders. I put 6 of the 'containers' in my carry basket and take that on my harvesting trips. Sometimes less but 6 fit really nice and they do not spill. Your containers may vary. When I approach, say a mullein, I take out that container and clip it to the necklace. It hangs in front of me and I am free to pick with both hands, placing the picked flowers in it. If there is a lot of leaning over, I can put an arm through it so it hangs more at my side, or under my arm. I move on to the next area and replace the harvesting container as needed. 

As I walk the yard I may have one or two Mullein, or a small patch of chamomile, then something else, then something else, then back to something I already started... I may not use all 6 and the ones I do use may only have an inch or so in them. But, it is an easy and portable system for me. Once back home I can empty them into drying screens.

No, not my original idea! I have to give credit to the movie "Ed TV" where he had the coozie around his neck while shooting pool. I simply thought it was a brilliant idea and went from there.


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## Woody (Nov 11, 2008)

I see there are a TON of varieties! What I have read is that the variety that infests the south is Japanese Honeysuckle. Been used for wine for years. Couldn't be too poisonous as the puppy ate a number of them, she liked them. Kind of funny too, she has been with me for two summers and never touched them before. I picked a few and fed them to her, she took to them right off. As I was picking one 'bush' it did a violent shake! I looked underneath and she was there 'grazing'. Kind of like blackberries, raspberries or any of the other 'wild' things in the yard. I never have to worry about picking anything below waist level, they are already taken care of.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

A tea made of the young twigs, vines and bark(Japanese Huneysuckle) is a mild diuretic, have tried it and it does make you pee!! lol

I tried it when I was looking for a non-pharmaceutical Blood Pressure remedy, it did help but not very much.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

We use it for allergies. As weird as it sounds, we have the kids gather a handful and drink the honey every couple of days and we don't have any allergy meds! As a kid, we always drank the honey when we were thirsty.


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