"The species known as "bush honeysuckle" are upright deciduous shrubs with long arching branches, are commonly 6 to 20 feet tall, and have shallow root systems. They were first introduced into the United States in the mid to late 1800s from Europe and Asia for use as ornamentals, wildlife food and cover, and erosion control. These non-native plants thrive in full sunlight, but can tolerate moderate shade, and are therefore aggressive invaders of a variety of sites including abandoned fields, roadsides, right-of-ways, woodland edges, and the interiors of open woodlands.
Honeysuckle out competes and shades out desirable native woodland species, and can form pure, dense thickets totally void of other vegetation. Reproduction and spread is by both sprouting and seeds, which are disseminated primarily by birds. While honeysuckle fruit is abundant and rich in carbohydrates it lacks the high-fat and nutrient-rich content that most of our native plants provide migrating birds.
Wherever invasive honeysuckle shrubs displace 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."
SOURCE: Ohioline
Trees and Trails is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community about invasive species like honeysuckle in the hopes of raising funds to assist the Village of Indian Hill and other Ohio municipalities in controlling their spread to maintain local forests, greenspace and trail systems for the health and enjoyment of current residents and future generations. With your help, we know we can make a difference.