We have at least three types of honeysuckle at Lehigh Portland Trails, and all are in bloom right now. They look nice, and smell sweet, but some species are highly invasive and aggressive.
The version with red flowers is Lonicera Sempervirens (Trumpet Honeysuckle) and is a beneficial native plant.
The vine with white and yellow blossoms is Lonicera Japonica (Japanese Honeysuckle). The shrub with white flowers is Lonicera Maackii (Bush Honeysuckle). The latter two are invasives, having been imported from Asia in the 1800s, and subsequently escaping into the wild, where they tend to dominate more mild-mannered native species.
For the health of our woodlands, getting our “honeysuckle problem” under control is an important long-term goal, but for now there are areas that are all but impassable. We’ll take up the battle again when late fall and winter roll around…
Honeysuckle is by no means the only invasive species at Lehigh Portland Trails, but it’s one of the most visible, aggressive, and destructive.
