Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii (Rupr.) Herder
Description from Invasive.org
- 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. (3.5-8.5 cm) long. The tips of the leaves are acuminate. The leaves are dark green above and lighter on the lower surface. The veins of the leaves are pubescent.
- Flowers
- The white flowers are found in erect pairs that are on peduncles shorter than the petioles. The flowers measure 0.6-0.75 in. (1.5-2 cm) long and are bilabiate. The flowers appear on the plant from late May to early June, which is later than the other honeysuckles.
- Fruit
- The fruit are dark red in color, spherical in shape and measure 0.25 in. (6 mm) in diameter. The fruit become ripe on the plant in the late fall.
- Ecological Threat
- Lonicera maackii can form large stands that prevent native shrubs and herbaceous understory plants from growing. The fruits persist on the branches into the winter, when birds feed on them. In the spring, Lonicera maackii is one of the first plants to leaf out, giving it a competitive advantage. This shrub can bear fruit when it is as young as 3 to 5 years old. Though Lonicera maackii has not yet become a major problem in New England, it is very troublesome in the southern and midwestern parts of the country.
Resources
- A Field Guide for the Identification of Invasive Plants in Southern Forests - USDA Forest Service
- Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council Invasive Plant Manual - SE-EPPC
- Element Stewardship Abstract - The Nature Conservancy
- Weeds Gone Wild: Alien Plant Invaders of Natural Areas - Plant Conservation Alliance
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
- Weed of the Week - USDA Forest Service
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas - National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Selected Images from Invasive.org
View All Images at Invasive.org
Plant(s)
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s) Planted along fence
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Plant(s) Brought to south Georgia from Missouri
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Fruit(s) Fruit in September
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Foliage December
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Flower(s) Flowers
John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
John M. Randall, The Nature Conservancy, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Flower(s)
Annemarie Smith, ODNR Division of Forestry, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Annemarie Smith, ODNR Division of Forestry, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Seedling(s)
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
David J. Moorhead, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Bark in December
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Bark
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org
Additional Resolutions & Image Usage