Combatting invasive bush honeysuckle will become one of your basic gardening staples.
In my years of gardening and landscaping, I’ve learned the immense importance of maintaining an eco-friendly and native plant-centric garden. I’d like to address a common adversary in many gardens: the invasive Honeysuckle (Lonicera spp). These plants might seem benign but pose significant threats to local ecosystems. I’ll guide you through some effective strategies for removing Honeysuckle from your property.
Invasive Honeysuckle
Before getting into the removal techniques, it’s crucial to understand why Honeysuckle is a problem. This invasive species, native to Eastern Asia, aggressively spreads, outcompeting local flora and disrupting wildlife habitats.
The three most common bush Honeysuckle species found in Ohio, Tartarian (L. tatarica), Amur (L. maacki), and Morrow (L. morrowi), can be distinguished from each other by characteristics of their leaves and flowers but all three fall into the “get them the heck out of my yard” category.
They can shade and crowd out native species of plants and alter habitats by depleting soil moisture and nutrients. This prevents natives from getting established. Honeysuckle can form complete, dense thickets totally void of any other vegetation. Honeysuckles also fruit abundantly, and their berries are rich in carbohydrates, but they lack the high-fat and nutrient-rich content that most of our native plants provide migrating birds.
Wherever invasive Honeysuckle displaces our native forest species, there is a huge potential impact on these migrating bird populations due to the reduction in availability of native food sources.
This particular invasive plant is one of my most hated, so I hope you feel the same and join me on this mission to eradicate it from your property! It might not be easy, but it’s worth starting the process of Honeysuckle removal.
Recognizing it is the first step. Look for its hollow stems, oval leaves, and white to yellowish two-lipped flowers that bloom in May/June. They also have red berries in the fall, which is the issue as birds eat them, fly off, and drop them in their waste.
They can also be easily recognizable in wooded settings as they typically leaf out first in spring and drop their leaves last in fall. As I write this on the first day of December, I am looking towards the back of my property, and my neighbor’s woods still have Honeysuckle with their leaves.
Honeysuckle can cause some confusion as well. There is a valuable native honeysuckle called Northern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera). This honeysuckle stays relatively short and has beautiful fall colors. It also has special value to bumble bees according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.
Let’s get into the eradication techniques.
How to Remove Honeysuckle | Techniques for Success
Repeated Cutting
The first step in this removal process is cutting the Honeysuckle. Use pruners or a hand saw to cut the plant about 1 foot to waist high off the ground. This height is optimal as it makes the next steps more manageable and ensures that you’re removing a significant portion of the plant. This ensures that you can easily identify it as something you are trying to get rid of as you become more familiar with identifying it at all stages of growth.
Monitoring and Removing New Growth
Post-cutting, the plant will attempt to regrow. It’s crucial to monitor this regrowth closely. As new shoots emerge, promptly remove them. This repeated cutting stresses the plant, gradually reducing its vitality and ability to regrow. Regular monitoring and cutting should be done throughout the growing season. This method is a bit easier to practice if you have a smaller space or limited Honeysuckle infestations.
Applying Herbicides
Herbicide Application on Leaves
While I advocate for minimal use of chemicals, in some cases, a targeted approach may be necessary. As you’ve probably heard me say, our yards are managed systems. Sometimes, they need help from us with the safe, smart use of a herbicide. If you opt to use herbicides, take precautions and use as little as necessary. Apply it directly onto the Honeysuckle leaves and ensure it is not applied on a windy day. This method targets the invasive plant while minimizing impact on surrounding vegetation and is a method suited to smaller to mid-sized Honeysuckle plants.
Herbicide Application on Stumps
With this method, you simply cut the plants with whatever tool is most applicable for their size and immediately paint the exposed stumps with herbicide. This direct application is crucial as it prevents the plant from regenerating and is more effective than spraying. The herbicide travels through the plant’s system, further ensuring its removal.
This method is easiest if done with a helper or two. Ideally, you would have someone cutting the plants, someone pulling the cut material off into an area (have your healthy young son do this part, lol), and then someone following with their PPE (personal protective equipment) on and the herbicide to paint directly onto the freshly cut stump.
Herbicide Application on Basal Bark
A basal application for bush honeysuckle refers to spraying a labeled herbicide mixed with an oil-based carrier on the stem’s lower 12–18 inches. The herbicide is sprayed to ensure the stems are wet but not running off. Apply basal treatments when the areas are dry and not frozen. Apply the basal treatments during the winter or spring. Accessing the lower portion of the Honeysuckle trunk is not always easy to achieve. Ensure that the chemical being applied reaches the lower portion of the shrub’s trunk and is not just applied in the general vicinity.
Safety and Environmental Considerations
When using herbicides, always follow safety guidelines and use PPE. Opt for herbicides that are less harmful to the environment and consider consulting with, or even using, a local expert for recommendations and/or application. Do not use the herbicide spray method if directly adjacent to a water source. Consider the repeated cutting or herbicide stump application method.
Physical Removal
Another effective method for eradicating Amur Honeysuckle is physical removal. This technique involves uprooting the entire plant, including its root system. Young Honeysuckle plants have very shallow root systems. This makes for easy removal by hand, but Honeysuckle can also get pretty large. Hand pulling is best done after a rain so you don’t leave any roots behind. Let’s explore the pros and cons of this approach.
Pros of Physical Removal
Complete Eradication: By removing the plant, root collar, and a lot of its roots, you ensure that it cannot regenerate. This method is highly effective in completely eliminating the plant from your garden.
Immediate Results: Unlike the gradual process of cutting and applying herbicides, physical removal provides immediate results. It’s satisfying to see instant progress in your landscape. And, there is something satisfying about yanking those danged plants right out of the ground by your own hand. It’s even more fun when you tie them up to your truck and pull the whole thing out!
Eco-friendly Option: This method does not rely on chemicals, making it a more environmentally sustainable option, especially for those who prefer organic gardening. You might be able to make a nice brush pile that attracts birds and other animals vs burning them for an even more eco-friendly removal process.
Cons of Physical Removal
Labor Intensive: Uprooting Honeysuckle can be physically demanding, especially for mature plants with extensive root systems. This method requires significant manual labor and might not be suitable for everyone, especially if you are in a location you can’t get a utility vehicle or truck into to aid in pulling them out.
Disposal: You will have to consider what you will do with potentially a lot of large shrubs and the attached roots. How will you dispose of them? Can you leave them where you pull them up to provide cover, move them off to one location to create a habitat-friendly brush pile, chip them to use in your gardens (don’t do this IF there are berries on them when you pull them), or do you plan on burning them? Have a plan going into it.
Soil Disturbance: Physical removal can disturb the soil, exposing it to air and sunlight. This disturbance can inadvertently promote the germination of weed seeds that were dormant in the soil, potentially leading to new weed problems.
Risk of Soil Erosion: Removing plants and their root systems can leave the soil vulnerable to erosion, especially in areas prone to heavy rains or winds. This can lead to loss of topsoil and nutrients essential for other plants.
Best Practices for Physical Removal
Use the Right Tools: Equip yourself with tools like a sturdy shovel, the tree popper, shrub busterTM, weed wrench, etc and gloves. These tools will make the process more efficient and protect you from potential injuries.
Root Docking
One of the best methods for physical removal if the honeysuckle is of a somewhat manageable size, is root docking. This method involves cutting the roots away from the plant’s crown, removing the root collar, trunk, and branches, but leaving most of the roots in place. Since re-sprouting often occurs at the root collar, there is little chance of re-sprouting, and no chemicals are needed.
Root docking can be done with a Mattock, but an easier method can simply be the use of a Sawzall reciprocating saw with the appropriate sawblade and a powerful battery.
Essentially, you want to use your Sawzall to cut the branches down to around knee height to root dock. You can use the saw to cut up the branches on the ground further if you’d like to leave them as ground cover in the woods.
Move any leaves or ground clutter away from the crown of the root collar where it’s exposed at the soil’s surface. This will allow you to identify roots spreading out from the root collar, as honeysuckle roots are fairly shallow. Take your Sawzall and cut around the root collar directly into the roots in the ground in a circle around the root collar. You can now typically push the knee-high stems with the newly cut roots over or pull it out. Give it a good whack back into the hole to knock most of the soil back off, and continue cutting more!
Soil Rehabilitation Post-Removal: After removal, consider planting native grasses or shrubs, or cover crops to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. These plants can also help suppress weed growth.
Consider Professional Help: For large infestations or particularly robust plants, you might want to consider hiring professional landscapers. They have the expertise and equipment to effectively and safely remove invasive species.
Physical removal of Honeysuckle is a viable option for those seeking an immediate impact and a chemical-free approach, though it comes with its challenges. Weighing the pros and cons will help you determine the best method for your landscape. Regardless of the chosen method, removing this invasive plant is a significant step toward a healthier, more sustainable garden ecosystem.
Combatting Bush Honeysuckle without Herbicides
Another physical removal method for honeysuckle is available. University of Cincinnati botanist Denis Conover has tested a method that combines cutting and smothering.
This method essentially requires three steps. Cut the bush and branch shoots low to the ground. Cover the stump and any exposed branch ends with garden plastic or black trash bags. Tie the plastic to the stump and secure it at the base to the ground with garden pins or wires. Plant native plants around the covered stump!
You can even cover the plastic-covered stumps with leaves to hide the plastic. Once the stumps have died, you can remove and reuse the plastic elsewhere. I haven’t personally tried this method but you can learn more at UC botanist uses nontoxic way to kill invasive species.
Final Thoughts
Removing invasive species like Amur Honeysuckle is a step towards a healthier, more sustainable garden. It’s a process that requires patience and persistence, but the benefits to your local ecosystem are immeasurable. By following these steps, you’re enhancing your own landscape and contributing positively to the broader environmental well-being.
As we strive for eco-friendly landscaping, removing invasive species is key. I encourage you to embrace these practices and seek further knowledge in sustainable gardening. Together, we can significantly impact preserving our local flora and fauna.
Join me in the fight to remove this highly invasive plant.
Related Resources
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