Shrub Honeysuckle: Accurate Identification

(machinery rumbling)

(collision thuds)

(mouse button clicks)

- The invasive group of plants known as shrub or bush honeysuckles consists of several different species and species hybrids introduced to the US from Europe or East Asia in the 1800s.

Identification and control treatments are similar enough that this complex of species can be treated as one group.

Keep in mind, however, that Japanese honeysuckle, an invasive vine, is identified and managed separately from the shrub honeysuckles discussed here.

Shrub honeysuckles are multi-stemmed, wide spreading bushes with arching branches.

Height at maturity is variable and ranges from six to 20 feet.

Shrub Honeysuckle leaves range from two to three inches long, have an elliptical to ovate shape, with some species having an elegantly tapered tip.

The leaves have smooth or entire margins and are oppositely arranged on the stem.

Leaves often emerge earlier in the spring and remain on the plant later in the fall than many native plants and habitats where shrub honeysuckles are found.

The stems of shrub honeysuckles have grayish-brown bark that is distinctly striated, vertically shredded, or fissured in appearance.

This is especially noticeable on larger stems.

Stems of all species in the invasive shrub honeysuckle complex have hollow brown centers, or piths, regardless of size.

This is a very distinctive identification feature.

Fragrant, four-petaled flowers emerge throughout the spring.

Precise timing depends on local weather conditions and species.

Flower color varies, but usually starts out white and turns yellow or pinkish over time.

However, depending on the species, color may range from white to pink and red.

Flowers grow in clusters of four.

Fruit replaces the flowers starting in mid-summer.

The shiny round berries are orange, red, or pinkish, and are approximately a quarter of an inch across.

Notice that like the flowers, fruits appear paired along the stem in groups of four.

Shrub honeysuckles are spread through the dispersal of their abundant fruit by birds and small mammals which eat them readily from mid-summer through winter.

There are a few native lookalike honeysuckle species to be aware of, in particular American fly honeysuckle and the less common native bush honeysuckle.

Both the native species have a solid pith rather than the hollow pith of the invasive species.

In addition, native bush honeysuckle has a toothed leaf margin, differentiating it from the smooth leaf edges of the invasive shrub honeysuckles.

The native shrub snowberry may also be confused due to it having a similarly hollow pith.

However, snowberry flowers are small, pink, and bell-shaped, and its fruit is white.

Native dogwoods and viburnums are sometimes confused with invasive shrub honeysuckles because they also have an opposite branch and leaf arrangement.

However, the leaves of these species are distinctly different, and the stems of dogwoods and viburnums have solid piths.

Shrub honeysuckles prefer areas with full to partial sun, like forest openings and edges, roadsides, abandoned agricultural fields, and other disturbed habitats.

They can also persist in forest understories where sufficient sunlight reaches the ground.

Some shrub honeysuckle species can tolerate seasonal wetness and can be found growing in wetlands and creek bottoms.

Exotic shrub honeysuckles can quickly take over natural areas through a combination of rapid growth, prolific seed production, and consequent seed dispersal by animals.

Be sure to positively identify these invasive shrubs and distinguish them from native lookalikes.

Once identified, consider applying control measures.