ORIGIN

Japan

COMMON NAME

Japanese honeysuckle

BOTANICAL NAME

Lonicera japonica

IDENTIFICATION

Vigorous climbing vine, stems purplish when young. Leaves entire, roughly oval in outline to deeply lobed, lighter green below. Tube-like flowers white to yellow, in axillary pairs, fragrant, Sep-May. Berries black.

HABITATS

Shrublands, forest margins, disturbed or secondary forest, wetland margins, coastal areas and inshore islands, roadsides, farm hedges, wasteland, rough pasture, modified lowland forest. More vigorous in deeper valley soils.

IMPACT TO BIOTA AND ECOSYSTEMS

Infests forests but has most impact climbing over shrublands or low canopy trees, especially on forest margins. May form a complete blanket over small trees and shrubs e.g. manuka, hebe and ribbonwood in coastal situations. An increasingly troublesome species of shrubland, forest margins and open roadsides.

DISPERSAL ROUTES, VECTORS, INFESTATION SOURCES

Roads are primary dispersal routes, exotic plantations, modified forests and township wastelands are typical bulking-up sites. Dispersed by birds and to some degree road machinery.

MANAGEMENT

Physical Control
Physical control can be counter-productive because nodes broken off will resprout. Grazing can be effective.

Disposal
Compost or bury. Plants may resprout if mulched.

Chemical Control
Clopyraild

Handgun 600mls/100l water
Knapsack 125mls/10l water

Biological Control

Recommended Approach

FURTHER COMMENT

For further information please refer to Environment Bay of Plenty's Fact Sheet PP17-Climbing plants

This plant is prohibited from propagation, sale and distribution with New Zealand!