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Bush honeysuckles
NATIVE RANGE:
Asia and western Europe
Photo: Virginia Tech Weed Guide, http://www.ppws.vt.edu/weedindex.htm Height: All five
species of bush honeysuckle grow to heights of 1.8 - 6.0 m (6-20 ft).
Photo: James H. Miller, USDS Forest Service, www.invasive.org. Leaves: Leaves of all species are opposite, narrowly elliptical, egg-shaped. The significant difference between species is dependent on the presence of pubescence (Morrow's are pubescent beneath and Pretty's can be).
Flower
:
Pairs of fragrant, tubular flowers less than an inch long are borne along the
stem in the leaf axils The differences between the flowers of these five
species are dependent on corolla and pedicel length. Tartarian honeysuckle is
typically pink, but may vary from red to white, Amur and Morrow's flowers are
white, changing to yellow. Standish flowers are creamy white and Pretty may
vary between the character of both parents. Blooms May-June.
Native bush honeysuckles may be confused with these exotic species and cultivars, so proper identification is necessary. Unlike the exotics, most of our native bush honeysuckles have solid stems. ECOLOGICAL THREAT: Exotic bush honeysuckles can rapidly invade and overtake a site, forming a dense shrub layer that crowds and shades out native plant species. They alter habitats by decreasing light availability, by depleting soil moisture and nutrients, and possibly by releasing toxic chemicals that prevent other plant species from growing in the vicinity. Exotic bush honeysuckles may compete with native bush honeysuckles for pollinators, resulting in reduced seed set for native species. In addition, the fruits of exotic bush honeysuckles, while abundant and rich in carbohydrates, do not offer migrating birds the high-fat, nutrient-rich food sources needed for long flights, that are supplied by native plant species.
Photo: Kenneth R. Robertson, INHS, Illinois Vegetation Management Guide, http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/chf/outreach/VMG/bhnysckl.html DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES: Amur, Tartarian, Morrow's, and pretty honeysuckle generally range from the central Great Plains to southern New England and south to Tennessee and North Carolina. The remaining species are sporadically distributed. Click here to see a distribution map. HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES: Exotic bush honeysuckles are relatively shade-intolerant and most often occur in forest edge, abandoned field, pasture, roadsides and other open, upland habitats. Woodlands, especially those that have been grazed or otherwise disturbed, may also be invaded by exotic bush honeysuckles. Morrow's honeysuckle and pretty honeysuckle have the greatest habitat breadth and are capable of invading bogs, fens, lakeshores, sandplains and other uncommon habitat types. BACKGROUND: Exotic bush honeysuckles have been introduced for use as ornamentals, for wildlife cover and for soil erosion control. BIOLOGY & SPREAD: Open-grown exotic bush honeysuckles fruit prolifically and are highly attractive to birds. In the eastern United States, over twenty species of birds feed on the persistent fruits and widely disseminate seeds across the landscape. In established populations, vegetative sprouting also aids in the persistence of these exotic shrubs. For more information on exotic bush honeysuckles,
please contact: Invasive Plant Atlas of New England - University of Connecticut http://webapps.lib.uconn.edu/ipane/browsing.cfm?descriptionid=66 Nonnative Invasive Plants of Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service http://www.invasive.org/eastern/srs/BH.html Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.invasive.org/eastern/midatlantic/loni.html Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC http://www.invasive.org/eastern/eppc/bushhoney.html The Nature Conservancy - Element Stewardship Abstract, http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/documnts/loni_sp.html Tennessee Exotic Pest Plant Council, http://www.se-eppc.org/states/tennessee.cfm The Nature Conservancy - Pest Plant Abstracts, http://www.consci.tnc.org/src/weeds/list.htm Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas - Plant Conservation Alliance http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/loni1.htm Virginia Natural Heritage Program - Bush honeysuckles http://www.state.va.us/~dcr/dnh/invlosp.htm SUGGESTED ALTERNATIVE PLANTS: Many native plants make excellent substitutes for exotic bush honeysuckles for home landscaping and wildlife planting. In the eastern U.S., examples include spicebush (Lindera benzoin), ink-berry (Ilex glabra), gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa), northern bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), red chokecherry (Aronia arbutifolia), and arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum). These species are readily available through commercial nurseries. AUTHOR: REFERENCES:
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