The three species of invasive honeysuckles in Oakland County are Bell’s (Lonicera x bella), Morrow’s (Lonicera morrowii), and Tartarian (Lonicera tatarica). All of these species are common in landscapes but can easily spread into unwanted natural areas. They can also occur along lakeshores, pastures, woodlands, and previously disturbed sites. Leaves vary among different species but in general they are opposite, 3 to 6 centimeters long, and are a green gray color. Leaf shapes can either be elliptic, oval, or oblong. The berries are orange to bright red and are paired. The stems of second year plants are hollow, and bark is gray to tan.
The flowers of Bell’s honeysuckle are pink, Morrow has white flowers, and Tatarian has white to red to pink flowers. It is important to note that Oakland County has American fly honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis) which is native. The American fly honeysuckle has a solid center stem when it is cut. The invasive species are hollow inside.
If you have seen any of these invasive species you can report it to us or on the MISIN website or smartphone app! Please include a photo to help with ID verification.
Environmental effects
These species are one of the first species to leaf out in the spring and lasts well into the fall. They shade out native species in the understory and can form dense thickets. The thickets prevent new woody materials from growing which can hinder the natural forest succession. Although they produce a lot of berries, they are not as nutritious to wildlife compared to native berries.
Treatments
There are multiple treatment options for invasive honeysuckles. These include both chemical and non-chemical options.
NON-CHEMICAL CONTROL METHODS:
- Hand pulling: when soil is moist, and the plant is less then ½ inch in diameter it can be hand pulled. Larger plants can be dug out as long as the entire root system is removed. However, the site should be revisited throughout the growing season to remove any new sprouts.
CHEMICAL CONTROL METHODS:
- Cut stump: larger plants that cannot easily be hand pulled/dug can be treated by cut stump. Within minutes of cutting the stump herbicide should be applied to the live wood to prevent it from resprouting.
- Basal bark application: if you wish to not hand pull small to medium size shrubs, you can apply herbicide to the stem during fall. If using this treatment method there is no need to cut the stump first. Be sure to completely cover the lower portion of the stump.
- Foliar spraying: this method may work best for dense patches of invasive honeysuckle. In order to avoid spraying non-target species, you can spray in mid to late fall because most native species lose their leaves by this time. Note: follow all safety precautions on the herbicide label when using performing foliar spraying.
Resources
Michigan Tech University has a great article that describes the difference between the three invasive species and the native specie.