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Hankering for Honeysuckle?

© Barbara M. Martin

You would recognize a good whiff of honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), wouldn't you? I thought so Most people know it: heavy and sweet and redolent of summer, one of the most evocative of fragrances, honeysuckle undoubtedly rates close to lilac in the polls.

That's no surprise. It grows freely almost any where, either wild or cultivated, and receives lots of honeysuckle hype. It's blooming right now in my area, spilling merrily along chain link fences and lighting up woodsy spots, clambering across sunny banks and tangling through hedgerows. The billowy clouds of white and soft yellow smell heavenly.

What a rewarding and versatile plant -- nearly evergreen, virtually trouble-free, long blooming, fragrant, perfect for covering an eyesore or enhancing an arbor with as close to no-maintenance as gardening ever gets. It even transplants well. Who could say no?

Well, the awful truth is some people do say no, and pretty strongly at that. Here's what the native plant people say about it in Virginia, for example, where it's listed as an Exotic Invasive Plant. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden rates it invasive, along with other pernicious plants. And if you see it growing in Hawaii, the authorities want to hear about it because the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk (HEAR) project is mapping it as an invasive alien species.

So should you be planting it or tearing it out? The answer depends on where you live. Start your search here with the Nature Conservancy's Alien Species Invasions of US Ecosystems to begin to track down the "least wanted list" for your local area. Some of the listed plants may shock you.

Pulling Together: National Strategy for Invasive Plant Management is a relatively new initiative and reflects the US Department of the Interior National Strategy. There's more at this site, Join the War on Weeds, through the the Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds.

Whew! All those serious fightin' words about the government chasing illegal plants leave me in need of a little levity. Ever tried a little pot pal? Here are the step-by-step pot pal instructions, in case you need a few.

Next week: The "Good" Honeysuckles. Including some just perfect for twining along the picket fence out front.

I have started yet another link category called simply, Cottage Gardens. The first link is to a delightful garden where the tour is given by the resident Boxer, Wynnie. The before and after photographs are incredible and the site is beautifully done, so be sure to visit! Let me know if you have any candidates for the link list!

The copyright of the article Hankering for Honeysuckle? in Cottage Garden is owned by Barbara M. Martin. Permission to republish Hankering for Honeysuckle? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.