Bush honeysuckle

The Eurasian bush honeysuckles (Lonicera morrowii, L. tatarica, and L. ×bella) are in contention for being some of the most prevalent woody plants in the old fields and forest edges of the conservation areas. These shrubs shade out native plants, and are often the first to be seen leafing out in the spring and among the last to lose leaves in the fall.  They coexist with similarly invasive buckthorn by sending up tall, sometimes vine-like, branches to get beyond the shade of the taller buckthorns. Besides light, they also compete for water and nutrients, and have been accused of being allelopathic (producing chemicals that are toxic to other plants).

References

• Roy Rich (2000). “Beautiful Species to Hate: Non-Native Bush Honeysuckles: Invasive Lonicera species in the Midwest.” Restoration and Reclamation Review 6(5): University of Minnesota Review, St. Paul.
• Illinois Nature Preserve Commission (2007). “Vegetation Management Guideline: Bush Honeysuckles: Tartarian, Morrow’s, Belle, and Amur Honeysuckle…”
• Phillipe Kenny, et. al (2013). “Invasive Bush Honeysuckle Removal Coalition Proposal” Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources, Campus as a Living Laboratory program.
• Forest Invasive Plants Resource Center. “Eurasian Bush Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp.).”