Honeysuckle ~ Lonicera caprifolium

Honeysuckle

Latin name: Lonicera caprifolium

Family: Caprifoliaceae

Part used: flowers (mainly), leaves, seeds, juice, bark

Habitat: widespread in temperate zones

Main constituents: volatile oils (inalool and jasmone), tannins, salicylic acid, luteolin, inositol

Energetics: bitter, sweet, cool, affinity for upper body

Main herbal actions: expectorant, laxative, diaphoretic; fruit: emetic, cathartic; juice: purgative; leaves and flowers: cold and flu, fever, antispasmodic, emollient

Minor herbal actions: seeds: diuretic

Main medicinal uses: colitis, decocted leaves: nervous asthma; distilled flower water: nervous headache, bark: gout, kidney stones, liver problems; flowers: coughs

Minor medicinal uses: GI sores, cramps, convulsions, palsies, sunburns, skin blemishes, childbirth, abscesses, breast inflammation, sores, dysentery

Preparations: stem/flower bud decoction: 15-30 g/600 ml water; ointment; pwd seeds: dose unknown; flower infusion: 1 tsp/cup water tid, 30-60 grams (Khalsa); tincture: 5 ml tid

Contraindications: unknown

Toxicity: none known

Sources: Wren, R.C. Potter’s New Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations; http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_honeysuckle.htm; http://plantsdatabase.com/go/1640/; http://plants.gardenbed.com/39/3864_med.asp; http://www.nature1.org/h/honeys31.html