The berries of Japanese honeysuckle are toxic to humans.
Japanese honeysuckle endangers trees by twining around tree trunks andgirdling them.
It climbs into the tree canopies, eventually crushing the tree with its weight.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
On the ground, the vines grow 6 to 10 feet long.
When growing up a tree, the vine grows considerably longer, reaching up to 50 feet.
Under ideal conditions, the vine can grow up to 30 feet annually.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Japanese honeysuckle spreads through its vines and seeds when birds and other wildlife eat the berries.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
What Does Japanese Honeysuckle Look Like?
Japanese honeysuckle is deciduous in colder climates, and evergreen in warmer climate zones.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
The stems are brittle and hollow.
The long, egg-shaped, and hairy leaves of the Japanese honeysuckle are opposite, two per node.
Between April and July, the vine has fragrant white flowers with a purple or pink tinge.
The Spruce / David Beaulieu
The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Between September and November, the flowers turn into black, shiny berries.
Do this before they set fruit in the fall to prevent the seeds from being dispersed by wildlife.
Immediately brush the cut stumps with liquid undiluted broad-spectrum herbicides (glyphosate or triclopyr).
Large areas of honeysuckle should be mowed down as close to the ground as possible.
Be sure towear protective clothing including glovesand goggles.
Japanese honeysuckle is just one species of honeysuckle (and a highly invasive one).
Japanese honeysuckle harms the environment by displacing native plants, insects, and animals.
Japanese Honeysuckle.USDA National Invasive Species Information Center.
North Carolina State University Extension.
Invasives in Your Woodland: Japanese Honeysuckle.
University of Maryland Extension.
Texas Invasive Species Institute.
