Black twinberry (Lonicera involucrata) is also known as “twinberry honeysuckle”. Named for its pairs of flowers and fruits, this attractive shrub grows up to 10 feet tall. Tube-shaped yellow to orange flowers bloom April – July, followed by dark purple berries surrounded by showy red bracts. Young branches have yellow bark which age to yellow-brown.
The flowers provide nectar for hummingbirds and bumblebees, and the berries are eaten by numerous birds. Twinberry is also a food plant for the young of Gillette’s Checkerspot butterfly. This wetland plant grows best in sun or partial shade and moist soil.
