
An invasive species is a plant that did not originate in the area and whose introduction to the area has caused economic, environmental, or human health harm according to the US Forest Service. Among others, Bush Honeysuckle and Callery Pear are two plants that have wreaked havoc in our community.
Bush Honeysuckle (pictured right, photo by US Forest Service) are shrubs that have invaded the under-story of forests and have populated our stream and river corridors. This green-leafed shrub produces white, pink, or red flowers in the spring and red or orange berries in the fall. The plant is one of the first to green in the spring and is one of the last to change color and drop leaves in the fall. Bush honeysuckle can rapidly invade, overtake, and crowd-out native plants - even releasing a toxic chemical that prevents other plants from growing around it. The root structure is extremely shallow and poor, providing almost no benefit for stream-bank stabilization and erosion control. Also, the berries do not provide an adequate food source, lacking essential nutrients for birds and other wildlife. Read more about Bush Honeysuckle and how to manage them below:

weed_of_the_month_honeysuckle_factsheet_draft.pdf |

thirty-two_ways_to_remove_honeysuckle__2_.pdf |


callery_pear_factsheet.pdf |