Invasive Japanese honeysuckle with white and creamy yellow flowers

Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). Photo: Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org

Updated: February 22, 2023

About Japanese honeysuckle

Life cycle

Deciduous woody vine in cold climates, semi-evergreen to evergreen in warmer areas

Growth habit

Climbing or trailing woody vine; girdles young plants it entwines; leaves opposite, shape variable with entire margins mid-late season, but may be deeply lobed in early season

infestation of japanese honeysuckle
Photo: Leslie Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Reproduction

Seed; black berries in pairs; flowers fragrant, white to creamy, in pairs arising from leaf axils

fruit of japanese honeysuckle
Photo: Leslie Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Conditions that favor growth

Common weed in commercial nursery operations, can engulf small plants and saplings; it can displace native vegetation if not controlled

Cultural control

Remove vines early before they strangle desirable plants and take over native habitat; constant maintenance needed to eradicate established growth

Additional resources

Invasive Vine and Groundcover Control

Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas

PDF Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas

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