What is Honeysuckle?
Although there are 25 varieties of honeysuckle – vines, bushy shrubs and rangy trees growing throughout the world, only one seems to attract cats (and ferrets). This particular variety is native to Eurasia and was transplanted to North America in the late 1700’s. At one time, catnip was believed to be the only “treat” for cats, but now you and your cat have an alternate choice. WHY IS HONEYSUCKLE BETTER? In some ways honeysuckle is similar to catnip. However, “studies have shown that a catnip reaction is an inherited tendency, with only about two-thirds of cats responding.”* Although no research has been done on honeysuckle, our customer surveys indicate that over 85% of cats like to indulge in honeysuckle. Whether a cat is attracted to catnip or not has no bearing on its attraction to honeysuckle. IS HONEYSUCKLE SAFE FOR MY CAT? Mike Ellis with the Texas Poison Control for the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston says they’ve received no reports about adverse reactions. “If
Honeysuckle refers to a diverse group of flowering vines that grow throughout most of Asia, Europe, and the Americas. In fact there are about 180 different species in the genus Lonicera, with the majority of the species present in China. You will only find Honeysuckle in the Northern Hemisphere of earth. No varieties have been found in the Southern Hemisphere. Many people enjoy the honeysuckle because you can take the trumpet-like flowers off the vines and sip the nectar from the bottom of the flower. The nectar is safe to consume, but other parts of the honeysuckle may not be. In particular, many honeysuckle plants produce berries that are poisonous, with a few exceptions. For safety purposes, never eat the plant’s berries unless you know for certain that they are one of the few non-toxic types. Honeysuckle is relished as a climbing vine, and because most varieties have a sweet, honey-like fragrance when in bloom. Houses with trellises of honeysuckle are considered pleasant to the olf
