The Division of Forestry promotes and applies management for the sustainable use and protection of Ohio’s private and public forest lands. Habitat. We first encountered it on an old homestead that is now part of Pine Bend SNA in Dakota County, but it's since been cut down. Seeds are readily dispersed by birds. All of them are deciduous shrubs with opposite, egg shaped leaves, fragrant flowers, and red or orange-red berries. Association of non-native Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii, Caprifoliaceae) with other invasive plant species in eastern deciduous forests in southwestern Ohio. The leaves are dark green, with a variety of shapes ranging from lance heads to broad ellipses that taper to a slender point. Appearance Lonicera maackii is a woody perennial shrub that can grow up to 16.5 ft. (5 m) in height. Foliage The oppositely arranged leaves are ovate to lance-ovate in shape and measure 1.3-3.3 in. Male cultivars are available in trade today. It was introduced into the United States in the mid-1800s but escaped cultivation. INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES FACT SHEET Problem: Asian bush honeysuckles grow so densely they shade out everything Amur honeysuckle (also known as bush honey-suckle, tree honeysuckle, or Maack’s honey-suckle) is an upright, multistemmed, deciduous shrub that can achieve heights of twenty feet. Amur honeysuckle is highly adaptable, forming dense stands that crowd and … Amur Honeysuckle is a new arrival to Minnesota, the fourth exotic invasive Honeysuckle to grace our landscape. Amur honeysuckle, its fall from grace. Amur Honeysuckle Lonicera maackii Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) Description: This shrub is up to 20' tall, 15' across, and abundantly branched. Amur honeysuckle bushes grow in thick patches, often crowding out and outcompeting other plants in a forest’s understory. Luken JO, Thieret JW, 1997. Chances are there is more of it there. It is adaptable to a range of conditions from sun to deep shade and wet to dry. Its broad spreading crown, low hanging branches, and overall stately appearance have led to its use in parks, cemeteries, university campuses and similar spacious sites (Dirr 1998, Dirr and Warren 2019). All non-native shrubs have hollow stems and twigs. They can grow up to 17 feet and form large stands that prevent native shrubs and other understory plants to persist. Amur honeysuckle is one of the most common and invasive bush honeysuckles found in the mid-Atlantic region. Photo by Kathy Smith, OSU Extension, School of Environment and Natural Resources. Amur honeysuckle, Morrow's honeysuckle, Tatarian honeysuckle, and showy fly honeysuckle (also called Bell's honeysuckle) all look similar. Amur honeysuckle is not … The OSU study found that nests built in it are more likely to be raided and those who choose to nest in it have few surviving offspring. Amur honeysuckle, ranging from 10 to 20 feet in height, dominated the understory along the perimeter of the woodlot which allowed for realistic side trim application. It occurs in most states in the eastern U.S. except for Minnesota, Maine and Florida and has been reported to be invasive in many. In Indiana, Amur Honeysuckle is particularly invasive in central and northern parts of the state, but it is starting to move into the southern portion . The Amur and Morrow honeysuckles originally come from parts of Asia while Tatarian honeysuckle came over from Russia and Turkey in the middle of the 18th century. The red to orange berries are dispersed by birds. Along the latter, pairs of opposite leaves occur. Commonly sold cultivars include Arnold’s Red, Zabelli and Rem Red. Amur honeysuckle has also been found to increase mite and tick populations, and increase the incidence of illnesses like Lyme disease in humans. The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, Vol. Honeysuckle Facts Geography. Hutchinson & Vankat Amur Honeysuckle in Ohio Forests 1119 Field Procedures U. S. Geological Survey topographic maps and aerial photographs were used to select 93 forest stands of at least 1 ha and within the known distribution of L. maackii. 143, Issue. Amur honeysuckle, a highly aggressive invasive woody shrub, is rapidly taking over millions of acres in the eastern and midwestern United States in a sort of ecological equivalent of Sherman's March. Amur honeysuckle flowers late April to June, and the white and yellowish flowers produce red berries in the fall that may contain more than 1 million seeds on mature (25-year-old), 20-foot tall plants. Honeysuckle now grows throughout most of the eastern and middle parts of the nation as well as southern regions of Canada. (2) The species is now extant in at least 26 states. 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