Honeysuckle Information

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Overview

Honeysuckle is a species of plant that grows in the form of a bush, large shrub or vine. The native honeysuckles in the United States are vines while introduced invasive honeysuckles are bushes or shrubs.

Types

Morrow, Tatarian and Amur honeysuckles are three of the more common types of invasive bush species while wild honeysuckle and trumpet honeysuckle are native vine types.

Habitat

While bush honeysuckles prefer damp and fertile soil conditions they have the ability to grow almost anywhere. The plant is common in places such as the edges of forests, along ravines, in pasture, along fencerows and in unplowed fields.

Considerations

The bush honeysuckles typically have an older section of branches low on the plant from which the newer branches develop in an upwards direction.

Features

One feature that sets bush honeysuckle apart from the vine form is that between nodes on the older stems the stem is hollow, unlike the pithy stems of the vines. Another is the red berries that develop from the fragrant flowers.

History

The bush honeysuckles came from China in 1846, originally intended as an ornamental plant because of the pinkish flowers. The plant "escaped cultivation" by producing copious amounts of seeds which birds were able to disperse.

References

Bush Honeysuckles:Ohio State University
Amur, Morrow & Tatarian Honeysuckle:Ohio Department of Natural Resources Website

Keywords: Amur Tatarian honeysuckle, bush invasive honeysuckle, wild trumpet honeysuckle

About this Author

John Lindell has written articles for "The Greyhound Review" and various other online publications. A Connecticut native, his work specializes in sports, fishing and nature. Lindell worked in greyhound racing for 25 years.