I have two honeysuckle berries. What next? Please help!

While "fussing" yesterday around my plants, I discovered two "berries" on my honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). They are black and soft. What to do next? Should I pick them? Do I have to remove the pulp? When would be best to plant, and do they require any special treatment?

So many questions... Please advise. Thank you so much,
Alexandra

Heya! Before you propagate your honeysuckle, you might want to check the comments on its PF page. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/1641/ It's pretty invasive around here. :-( If you have a "non-invasive" cultivar, the seeds should be sterile... and if not (might have crossed with another plant in the area), offspring may be invasive also (at least that's my understanding).

It's such a pretty plant that I wish I could have it (just one!) in my yard. I do have a Lonicera americana that I got from Brushwood, and I love it.

Hey, Critter!

I believe that's the one I have: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/54044/ . I see now it's also said to be invasive, but I bought it because I saw it in the Rose Garden here, so it must be drought-resistant, and I love it's smell. Mine is in a pot, and will probably stay that way then. You can have one in a pot too...
I would still want to start a seed, one of my best friends wants one; she's Chinese, and they make tea out of the flowers.

It's invasive because birds spread the seeds. Growing it in a pot won't make any difference. Chances are good it won't come true from seed anyway, and you'll have regular Lonicera japonica seedlings.

http://www.texasinvasives.org/invasives_database/detail.php?symbol=LOJA

I don't mean to upset anybody... but it's strange then that the Municipal Rose Garden has it, and the HD sells it (that's where I bought it)... I haven't seen it along my walks elsewhere in the city though.

Growing it in a pot will let you keep up with deadheading, though, and then it won't make seeds.

Our HD sells stuff that's on the invasive list here, too.

Getting back to the question, I've heard with other "berry" types of seeds (like beautyberry) to remove the outer covering just before planting or to just plant the whole thing... Given the way they self-sow, you could probably winter sow the berry.

I wonder if you could use the "other" honeysuckles (like L. americana) to make tea... I'll have to look into that!

Here's mine:

Thanks all for the answers.

I don't know what I'll do with those two berries (my friend is in Florida, everything grows happily there, too happily for some...). As for my honeysuckle, it will remain in a pot and I'll keep her in my screened patio. While she can benefit from some sun, the birds will not be able to reach in the enclosed area, so no pooping seeds, and very few chances for bees to get in to pollinate, so probably no berries in the future... And I will have her close enough to enjoy the fragrance.

I also suspect that the desert here doesn't give too much chance for seed germination, since the only plant I saw growing was the one mentioned, and on the invasiveness reports map the southwestern area of Texas is "clean".

Critter, I don't know about it. I saw her drinking the flower-tea, that's how I recognized it (dried, they didn't look much, but they rehydrated and opened beautifully with the hot water). Then, it was me that hit the DG PF search, and she checked the list with her Chinese translator and this is the one she picked from all the honeysuckle entries.
Also, when we were kids, we used to eat the pistils (sp?), and I think there was some nectar there, as I remember the sweetness... Not invasive in that zone 5 equivalent, as I've never saw it growing wild in my numerous travels, only in people's gardens (hiding fences usually).

Thanks again,
Alexandra