Warning: I keep seeing people call that pink flower in their yard a 'wild rose' when it's actually a Japanese honeysuckle...

I've corrected three neighbors this spring in my own subdivision because the honeysuckle vines can choke out native plants, and I only know this from volunteering with the county's invasive species removal group last year.

3 comments

3 Comments

james_kim1mo ago

Remember my buddy had the same issue with his new house. He spent a whole weekend clearing what he thought were pretty roses from a fence line. His back was killing him. Then someone from the local garden club walked by and told him it was all honeysuckle. He was so mad he'd wasted all that effort on an invasive plant. Now he spots it everywhere and points it out to people. It really does spread like crazy if you let it go.

ellis.hayden1mo ago

Did he ever get the roses he actually wanted planted instead?

hayden_butler2729d ago

That whole thing about "wasted all that effort on an invasive plant" really gets me. I was reading an article somewhere online about how honeysuckle actually chokes out native flowers and messes with the soil balance for years. They said you basically have to dig up the roots or use herbicide to really get rid of it, which is a huge pain. So your buddy probably did himself a favor in the long run, even if it felt like a waste at the time. You gotta wonder how many people just leave that stuff alone thinking it's nice.