The white, ornate flowers appear in the spring and are very fragrant. In northern areas, Japanese honeysuckle drops its foliage. Check with your local county extension to inquire about Japanese honeysuckle's invasive status in your area. Withholding water may help keep the vine in check. Why do we need this? Many species of honeysuckle are toxic to one degree or another, and this includes Japanese honeysuckle. It is prized for its long bloom period and fragrant flowers that bloom all summer and into fall, but it is also sometimes despised because its "vigorous" growth habit all too easily strays over into invasiveness. Withhold even this spring feeding if the vine becomes too vigorous. The only feeding required is a layer of compost plus organic fertilizer in the spring. Due to its climbing nature, using a mower for management could be a problem. Lonicera japonica 'Purpurea' (Japanese Honeysuckle) is a vigorous, evergreen or semi-evergreen vine bearing highly fragrant purple-red flowers adorned with white interiors from spring intermittently through late summer. Japanese honeysuckle is an invasive, non-native climbing vine. Entering your postal code will help us provide news or event updates for your area. For example, most native honeysuckles are fused at the stem so that they form one leaf. See also: Invasive Plant Fact Sheets for plant species (trees, shrubs, vines, herbs and aquatic plants) that have impacted the state's natural lands Invasive, Exotic Plants of the Southeast - Japanese Honeysuckle Seedlings can be removed by hand. 15 to 30 feet in length, with a spread of 3 to 6 feet. The variety of Japanese honeysuckle most often planted for landscape purposes is 'Halliana', commonly called Hall's honeysuckle. “If I were to have only one trellis, I’d probably plant a honeysuckle,” says Ferris Cook, author of The Garden Trellis: Designs to Build and Vines to Cultivate. Many species of honeysuckle are toxic to one degree or another, and this includes Japanese honeysuckle. Japanese honeysuckle weed is somewhat easy to differentiate from native species. This plant reproduces by seed or from the runners that can root at the node. The vine is often planted because it does well in shady locations and in dry soils. Some options include: Japanese honeysuckle is largely without serious insect and disease problems, as befits a vine with a reputation for being vigorous to the point of being invasive. The foliage has an opposite orientation. Get notified when we have news, courses, or events of interest to you. Young leaves have smooth lobes and are narrow and elongate. This plant contains carotenoids in the berries and glycosides in the stems and vines. Japanese honeysuckle does well in any average soil, provided it is well drained. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. See All Pest, Disease and Weed Identification, See All Beer, Hard Cider, and Distilled Spirits, See All Community Planning and Engagement, Common Pokeweed Identification and Management. Japanese honeysuckle leaves are separate, growing opposite from each other on the stem and are dark green all over. These are considered mildly toxic, and symptoms can include stomach pain, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting. Prefers average soil that is well drained, Eastern Asia including China, Japan, and Korea, 10 Great Jasmine Shrubs and Vines for Your Landscape, 29 Shrubs That Grow in Full or Partial Shade, Best Flowers, Shrubs, Vines, and Trees That Attract Hummingbirds, 18 Yellow-Flowering Plants for Your Garden, 12 Best Perennial Vines to Grow in the Sun. When trained on a trellis, a single plant is normally used. In the South, Japanese honeysuckle grows so aggressively that its weight poses a danger to trees when it climbs into their canopies. In northern areas, Japanese honeysuckle drops its foliage. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. These are considered mildly toxic, and symptoms can include stomach pain, diarrhea, irregular heartbeat, and vomiting. In northern New England and other similar climates, a better choice is Hall's Japanese honeysuckle, which is unlikely to spread so aggressively. Like all woody invasive species, Japanese honeysuckle requires time and effort to remove. David Beaulieu is a garden writer with nearly 20 years experience writing about landscaping and over 10 years experience working in nurseries. If the plant becomes too dry, leaves will turn brown and fall off, though the vine itself rarely dies. But the effects are usually mild, and occur only when large quantities are ingested. Major pruning should be done in the early winter after the flowers have dropped off. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is an extremely vigorous perennial vine that is deciduous in northern climates but often evergreen in warmer areas. It was brought to the United States, along with other non-native honeysuckles such as Tatarian (Lonicera tatarica), as an ornamental plant. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. The honeysuckle may be the queen of flowering vines, twining with abandon around arbors and archways, trellises and tree trunks, filling the air with their intoxicating scent. You should not plant this vine where children are around, but the plant does attract butterflies and hummingbirds, a… It is deciduous in colder climates; evergreen in warmer zones, but extremely vigorous wherever it grows. Mature leaves are oval with smooth edges with hairs on the surface. They are followed by blue-black berry-like fruit that attract birds. In warmer areas, it is semi-evergreen to evergreen. The plant can also harm shrubs and small trees by girdling them. Perfect as cover for fences, and walls, or as a shrubby groundcover. In certain regions, this is a species you should not plant. Young leaves have smooth lobes and are narrow and elongate. Japanese honeysuckle is a climber that twines thickly around any vertical structure, whether it is a trellis or a tree. An excellent solution for a fast growing screen, even with poor soils. The flowers give way to black berries that are mildly poisonous to humans. Like many invasive species, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) likes to grow along the edge of a disturbance (wood edge, path). Plant it in full sun to part shade; shadier locations will both reduce the amount of flowering and also stunt the plant's growth somewhat. Japanese honeysuckle is a climbing or sprawling, semi-evergreen woody vine that often retains its leaves into winter. The vines bear fragrant white flowers, tinged with pink, that attract butterflies and hummingbirds from late spring into fall. It is a true menace in parts of the country where the foliage is evergreen and thereby more vigorous. Leaves are normally a medium green on the upper portion with a bluish-green hue on the underside. View our privacy policy. This is an adaptable plant that does well in full sun to part shade, but a shadier location is sometimes preferred in order to keep its growth in check. Learn tips for creating your most beautiful (and bountiful) garden ever. Remember to always read the label for specific application sites, precautions, and mix rates. Semi-evergreen in milder climates; deciduous in colder areas. The foliage has an opposite orientation. LEARN HOW TO STOP THE INVASIVE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY, Coronavirus: Information and resources for the Extension Community. Ground cover plants should be sheared back with a lawn mower in later winter to control growth and remove any dead undergrowth. The seeds are dispersed in black fruit. The white, ornate flowers appear in the spring and are very fragrant. This plant is rarely propagated deliberately due to its aggressive growth habit, but where desired, it is easily propagated by planting seeds from the berries, or by splitting off sections of its spreading rhizomatous roots. Plants grown as ground cover should be mowed down in the early spring with a mower set at maximum height. If you have only a few unwanted vines, cut them down to ground level in late summer, then coat the cut ends with undiluted glyphosate (Roundup) liquid. There are many other forms of honeysuckle that offer some of the same benefits but without the dangerously rampant growth habit of Japanese honeysuckle. 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