Be on the Lookout - Bush Honeysuckle

Bush Honeysuckle, Lonicera maackii, is an extremely aggressive invasive shrub in our region. Fall is the best time to identify it because it often stays green when our native shrubs and sapligs loose there leaves.  In fact, you can often identify bush honeysuckle easily in late fall after most of other species have dropped their leaves by simply driving downt he road and looking for color within the woods. In the fall, honeysuckle also has bright red berries. If you think you have a honeysuckle plant, look for the red berries, opposite leaves with pointed tips, and light tan stringy bark. This is a plant that you do not want to leave alone. As soon as you identify this as being on your land, you should start controlling it. Waiting even a year can result in a drastic increase in its population size.