Japanese honeysuckle

About

A sweet-smelling, semi-evergreen twining vine from East Asia that sprawls over the ground and climbs shrubs and small trees. It smothers and strangles other plants and resprouts from its roots and stem joints after cutting.

Also called Hall's honeysuckle, Chinese honeysuckle, gold-and-silver honeysuckle, honeysuckle vine

How to identify it

Look for

Leaves are opposite, oval, smooth-edged and about 1 to 3 inches long; some early-season leaves are lobed. Young stems are reddish and fuzzy, and older stems are hollow with peeling bark. Fragrant, tubular white flowers come in pairs, age to yellow, and are followed by shiny black berries in fall.

Look-alikes

Native coral (trumpet) honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens, has red tubular flowers in clusters at the stem tips and its top pairs of leaves are fused around the stem.

Where it grows

Woodland edges, fence rows, hedges, roadsides and neglected beds; it tolerates shade and can persist under trees.

When

Flowers from spring into summer (sometimes into fall), and berries ripen from late summer through fall; it stays green most of the winter in the South.

How it spreads

Birds and rabbits spread the seeds, and runners root at the nodes where they touch soil.

Most common in

Where it is regulated

Illinois bans its sale under its exotic weed law.

What to do, gentlest first

Start at the top. Weed killers are a last step; always read and follow the label.

1. Plant native coral honeysuckle instead Prevent

   If you want a honeysuckle vine, choose native coral honeysuckle. Check fence lines and hedges each year for new seedlings.

2. Pull vines and roots By hand

   For small patches, pull and unwind the vines by hand and dig out rooted runners. Remove any berries too, and watch for resprouts.

   Mowing and goat grazing tend to make it grow back thicker, so they aren't good fixes.

3. Glyphosate or triclopyr, best in fall Conventional spray

   Spray a 2% solution on the leaves, or paint a 25% solution on freshly cut stems. Spring through fall works, but fall applications work best.

   Read and follow the label. Many lawn and brush killers also harm garden plants, so keep spray and drift off anything you want to keep.

Uses, wildlife and pets

For wildlife

Hummingbirds, moths and butterflies visit the flowers, and birds eat the berries.

Pets

Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA