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Biology and Life Cycle of Invasive Honeysuckles
Invasive honeysuckles are multi-stemmed deciduous woody shrubs that can form dense thickets. They
can tolerate shade, but seedlings do better in full sunlight and take advantage of gaps in forest canopies
and open habitat. They reproduce primarily via seeds, although cuttings have been used successfully in
horticultural settings.
Like another invasive shrub, Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus catharitca), the honeysuckles leaf out earlier
and retain their leaves later into the fall than many native species.
Invasive honeysuckles can outcompete their native counterparts in several ways. They often have greater
biomass than native honeysuckles, allowing them to outcompete for light and nutrient resources. They
have a high seed production, producing seeds after 3-5 years. Seeds remain on the plants well into winter
and are eaten and dispersed by a variety of birds and small mammals.
Plants that have naturalized in North America produce more seeds compared to plants in their native
ranges in Asia and Europe. This is likely due to the selection of certain genotypes of the invasive
honeysuckles which would produce more fruit during its early stages of cultivation.
Tatarian Honeysuckle seed.
Photo courtesy of Bruce Ackley, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org.
Best Management Practices in Ontario
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