Control and Identification of Invasive Species - Grow Native
Control and Identification of Invasive Species - Grow Native
Control and Identification of Invasive Species - Grow Native
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19sometimes confused with privet. The flowers<strong>of</strong> Amur honeysuckle are faintly fragrant. Thisshrub was improved by breeding for greaterfruit production bythe USDA in Missouri, <strong>and</strong> has been plantedfor l<strong>and</strong>scaping <strong>and</strong> attracting wildlife acrossthe eastern US. In fact, bush honeysuckle providespoor quality food <strong>and</strong> habitat for birds. Itthrives from Maryl<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> Virginia to Missouri<strong>and</strong> eastern Kansas. Plantings are known torapidly spread to nearby forests where theycan occupy several square miles <strong>of</strong> woodedareas within 5 years. Similar stories could berepeated all over the St. Louis <strong>and</strong> Kansas Cityregions in Missouri.Small infestations can be killed with mostwide-spectrum <strong>and</strong> broadleaf-specificherbicides (RoundUp or Garlon) applied to thefoliage at 1.5-4% concentration. Timingis important, with late growing season(September-October) applications <strong>of</strong>tenreported to be more lethal than those inearlier or later months. Homeowners should beaware that brush from bush honeysuckle containingberries contains seeds <strong>and</strong> should notbe put into municipal mulch piles to avoidspreading the seed further. Largerindividuals are best controlled in fall orwinter with either basal or cut stumptreatments <strong>of</strong> Garlon or related herbicidesat 20% concentration.In cold weather, diluting herbicides withwindshield-washer fluid rather than waterprevents freezing <strong>and</strong> may improve penetrationinto plant tissues. Prescribed burning will onlytop-kill plants. Plants will re-sprout from theroots but flowering <strong>and</strong> seed production areset back two seasons. Unless burning is frequent,mechanical or chemical removal are theonly effective means <strong>of</strong> control.Japanese honeysuckleLonicera japonicaJapanese honeysuckle (an “evergreen” woodyvine) historically was much-loved in gardensfor the delicious fragrance <strong>of</strong> its flowers.In nature however, it is a plague throughoutthe Eastern United States. The flowers openwhite <strong>and</strong> turn creamy yellow, emitting thefragrance for which they are famed. The fruit isThe berries <strong>of</strong> Amur honeysuckle (above) are attractive to the human eye <strong>and</strong> are eaten eagerlyby migrating <strong>and</strong> resident birds, which disperse the seeds in their droppings.Amur or Bush honeysuckleLonicera maackiiBushhoneysuckle (a woody shrub) is <strong>of</strong>ten mistakenlyreferred to as Japanese honeysuckle, <strong>and</strong>
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