When new growth begins to sprout, coat them with a 5 percent solution of glyphosate. The white, ornate flowers appear in the spring and are very fragrant. You can also cut the plants in mid to late summer, wait for the plants to regrow, and then spray the new foliage. Leaves produced in spring often highly lobed; those produced in summer unlobed. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is an extremely vigorous perennial vine that is deciduous in northern climates but often evergreen in warmer areas. It prefers full sun, but it can grow in shaded environments. For best growth, keep Japanese honeysuckle well watered (1 inch per week) and protect the soil with a layer of bark mulch. If the plant becomes too dry, leaves will turn brown and fall off, though the vine itself rarely dies. You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser to utilize the functionality of this website. Pruning usually aims at shortening the plant and keeping its size in check. Introducing "One Thing": A New Video Series, The Spruce Gardening & Plant Care Review Board, The Spruce Renovations and Repair Review Board. The vines bear fragrant white flowers, tinged with pink, that attract butterflies and hummingbirds from late spring into fall. Due to its climbing nature, using a mower for management could be a problem. Foliar applications of glyophosate or triclopyr can also be applied, but if this is done early in the growing season, further monitoring will be required to watch for regrowth. Although Japanese honeysuckle prefers moist, loamy soils, these ideal conditions can cause the plant to grow too vigorously. Japanese honeysuckle is a climbing or sprawling, semi-evergreen woody vine that often retains its leaves into winter. 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 View our privacy policy. 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. In northern areas, Japanese honeysuckle drops its foliage. The white, ornate flowers appear in the spring and are very fragrant. Japanese honeysuckle does well in any average soil, provided it is well drained. Plants grown as ground cover should be mowed down in the early spring with a mower set at maximum height. 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. 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. Seedlings can be removed by hand. LEARN HOW TO STOP THE INVASIVE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY, Coronavirus: Information and resources for the Extension Community. In warmer areas, it is semi-evergreen to evergreen. The variety of Japanese honeysuckle most often planted for landscape purposes is 'Halliana', commonly called Hall's honeysuckle. Many species of honeysuckle are toxic to one degree or another, and this includes Japanese honeysuckle. For example, most native honeysuckles are fused at the stem so that they form one leaf. Young leaves have smooth lobes and are narrow and elongate. 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. The plant can also harm shrubs and small trees by girdling them. It is a true menace in parts of the country where the foliage is evergreen and thereby more vigorous. Check with your local county extension to inquire about Japanese honeysuckle's invasive status in your area. The vine is often planted because it does well in shady locations and in dry soils. 15 to 30 feet in length, with a spread of 3 to 6 feet. Semi-evergreen in milder climates; deciduous in colder areas. Get notified when we have news, courses, or events of interest to you. Japanese honeysuckle is an invasive, non-native climbing vine. When trained on a trellis, a single plant is normally used. Mature leaves are oval with smooth edges with hairs on the surface. 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. Growth is aggressive, and the plant will climb over other desirable plant material. None of the leaves are joined at the base. You should not plant this vine where children are around, but the plant does attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and many birds enjoy eating the berries. Leaves are opposite, simple, ovate, 1½ to 3¼ inches long. Additionally, the stems of native species are sol… Japanese honeysuckle, golden-and-silver honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle weed. The foliage has an opposite orientation. Dryer soils may limit the rampant growth habit of the vine. Leaves are normally a medium green on the upper portion with a bluish-green hue on the underside. In northern areas, Japanese honeysuckle drops its foliage. This plant contains carotenoids in the berries and glycosides in the stems and vines. 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. The only feeding required is a layer of compost plus organic fertilizer in the spring. An excellent solution for a fast growing screen, even with poor soils. Japanese honeysuckle is a climber that twines thickly around any vertical structure, whether it is a trellis or a tree. But the effects are usually mild, and occur only when large quantities are ingested. Fragrant Flowering Vine or Ground Cover, Long Blooming Period, Attracts Birds, Hummingbirds and … David Beaulieu is a garden writer with nearly 20 years experience writing about landscaping and over 10 years experience working in nurseries. Ground cover plants should be sheared back with a lawn mower in later winter to control growth and remove any dead undergrowth. The flowers give way to black berries that are mildly poisonous to humans. Many species of honeysuckle are toxic to one degree or another, and this includes Japanese honeysuckle. 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. You should not plant this vine where children are around, but the plant does attract butterflies and hummingbirds, a… By entering your email, you consent to receive communications from Penn State Extension. Japanese honeysuckle is listed as an invasive plant up the East Coast to the southern parts of New England. Remember to always read the label for specific application sites, precautions, and mix rates. In the South, Japanese honeysuckle grows so aggressively that its weight poses a danger to trees when it climbs into their canopies. Like all woody invasive species, Japanese honeysuckle requires time and effort to remove. In certain regions, this is a species you should not plant. 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. 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. This plant reproduces by seed or from the runners that can root at the node. The main problem with Japanese honeysuckle is controlling the plant or eliminating plants that escape cultivation and naturalize where they are unwanted. The seeds are dispersed in black fruit. An outstanding vine with yellow and white flowers that add a delightful fragrance to summer landscapes. “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. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. The flowers gradually fade to yellow, and it is not uncommon to see white, pink, and yellow colors all at the same time. Like many invasive species, Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) likes to grow along the edge of a disturbance (wood edge, path). Withhold even this spring feeding if the vine becomes too vigorous. 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 planted as a ground cover, use two or three plants for each square yard of ground. 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. It does well in dry conditions, which can also help check its rampant growth.