Invasive Plant Management in the Fall

Here are some tips for spotting invasive plants in the fall. Be aware of hunting season, so dress accordingly!

Invasive shrubby honeysuckle in late fall.

Now is the time to check your woodlot for invasive shrubby honeysuckle, Lonicera spp.! Most of the leaves have fallen from the hardwoods which means honeysuckle will be easier to spot. There are three different species of shrubby honeysuckle that are invasive, L. morrowii, L. tatarica, and L. x bella which is the hybridized version of the first two.

Ways to identify honeysuckle in the fall:

• Opposite yellow rounded leaves stand out in the woods because they hold on to their leaves longer

• Hollow pith on larger stems 

• The underside of the leaves can be hairy or smooth depending on species

• It may or may not have fruit on it at this point in the season

• May grow to be 10 ft. tall and wide at maturity

Control Methods:

• Smaller plants can be pulled or dug out when soils are moist

• With the right equipment, like a Pullerbear tree puller you can pull out smaller plants

• For larger honeysuckles you can use a excavator with a grapple or a bucket with a thumb  

• Mowing, livestock browsing, cutting, and or burning repeatedly over several years will eventually kill the plant and prevent it from spreading by seed

Native Look-alikes

Fly-Honeysuckle, Lonicera canadensis and mountain honeysuckle, Lonicera villosa

• Native honeysuckles tend to be smaller and are far less common 

• All native honeysuckle have a solid pith, but you need a larger caliper stem to verify

For more information on invasive species check out https://www.maine.gov/dacf/mnap/features/invasive_plants/invsheets.htm