Bush Honeysuckle (nonnative Loniceras) plants moves stealthily through the gardens...it has created a rather ingenious mode of transportation. He allows native birds to digest his offspring and they are transpooped to new environments.
Natives are quickly subdued and their habitat is taken over. Evidence: Small seedlings everywhere!
Here he is hiding among the forsythia,
soon he will blend in with the green leaves of the shrub hedge. Right now he is most vulnerable and I can sneak up and take him out with my laser pruners and a dab of Glyphosate on this hydra monster's many heads. Then on to free the rest of my world from this cruel invader and his cohorts.
Gail
I had to post this.
I hate this stuff because it is so uncontrollable. Good luck separating it from your forsythia-stealth is definitely required.
ReplyDeleteTina,
ReplyDeleteIt really is a horrible plant....I read someplace that there was an introduced natural enemy of the honeysuckle but you know that will come back to bite us or our children in the bottom,
Glad you stopped by.
gail
That honeysuckle goes everywhere! It's all long out back property line. As long as it stays there I'll be happy.
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteIt is an insidious invader...under every branch are little sprouts!
I do enjoy the fragrance;) but don't tell the invasives council!
gail
This bad boy must have been popular at the same time the houses around us were built, it is one every lot and the size of a crabapple. No hope getting all the invaders, but must be vigilant. Good post.
ReplyDeleteFrances
Frances,
ReplyDeleteLike Kudzu it was introduced into our habitats...the thing about honeysuckle is that it is a very successful invasive...it blooms early, shuts down shop late and produces millions of offspring...crowding out every other native wildflower and shrub.
Gail
I feel fortunate not to have to deal with that honeysuckle.
ReplyDeleteI contend with maple seedlings and a neighbor's ivy. They're time consuming, but relatively easy to deal with.
Bindweed and poison ivy are abundant in my area but so far haven't invaded our property.
gardengirl,
ReplyDeleteI have read that bindweed has an huge root system and is nearly impossible to get rid of? Honeysuckle is also very hard to get rid of, even if you get all of it out of your garden, it is everywhere and birds will transpoop it back.
I have had to vigilant about poison ivy! Are you allergic to it?
Gail
Hi Gail .. I guess we are lucky in the cold north not to have this one. I have a ton of those maole "keys" fly in and plant themselves though .. so that is my mission during the whole season .. they seem to arrive on the "daily express" ! haha
ReplyDeleteGood Luck !
Joy
joy,
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their 'maple seedling/honeysuckle' garden problem...I guess there are no perfect garden spots...the NE has mile-a-minute, we have kudzu and honeysuckle...SIGH. Now that is why I eat chocolate, well and it is so good for me.
Good to talk.
Gail
LOL! Those invading aliens, they're sneaky & insidious. You can't turn your back for a minute.
ReplyDeletemmd,
ReplyDeleteGlad you laughed...I was wondering if I was sounding too serious;-)
gail
I know you will win the battle. You go girl! Pruners, a bit of glyphosate and you will rule!
ReplyDeletelayanee,
ReplyDeleteAren't you just a little bit excited about heading to Austin in a few days? I am!
I was just making a big box run and saw an entire hedge of bush honeysuckle, it's taking over! There may not be enough
Gail
oops,
ReplyDeleteenough glyphosate to stop this invading alien.
gail
Hi Gail. Thanks so much for visiting my blog today :)
ReplyDelete"Transpooped!" That gave me a good laugh, though dealing with an evil plant like this is certainly not very funny. We had some sort of honeysuckle growing in a large front yard bed of our first house. It had pretty much taken over and was an absolute nightmare to remove :(
Amy,
ReplyDeleteGlad you stopped by, I do kind of like 'transpooped" myself! I am so enjoying visiting new for me blogs and having conversations...your garden is very different from mine but as gardeners we still share some of the same kinds of issues.
Gail
I battle Tartarian honeysuckle and mine is much further along. Lots of 4 and 5 foot shrubs to deal with. And when I do finally take them out, I am almost afraid to see what will spring up in their place. Almost certainly more of the same--or the dratted multiflora rose!
ReplyDeleteBut what a stupendous show of forsythia!