My soil conservation lady told me she can get me some Japanese honeysuckle. Have heard all sort of stories too evasive hard to control deer love it and will bed in it. My question is has anyone tried this stuff and if you keep it mowed back will that help it from spreading? any info anyone has would be great.......marty;D
I believe I have that crap growing in my field. It is very invasive. I have never seen any deer browse, but they do like it for cover. Of course, they also use the goldenrod for cover, too.
Your soil conservation lady is a dingbat! >:( Autumn olive, russian olive, honeysuckle, buckthorn, etc. are all invasive pests that quickly get out of control. Plant 50 this spring and there'll be 500 scattered around the area ten years from now. There is very little that cannot be accomplished with native trees and shrubs, so GO NATIVE!
I don't know what soil or zone you're dealing with, but check out ninebark, American bittersweet, or one of the dogwoods. They'll get the job done and they won't emulate the Killer Tomatos by taking over your county. Let us know what you decide to plant.
My guess would be that she is suggesting that because the nurseries are sold out of anything that's worth a ___. Deer are easy to please, they'll eat about anything. Birds do eat honeysuckle berries and crap them out across the countryside. Do your neighbors' forest a favor and don't plant any.
FWIW- y'all know I've been in Maine and WV both- plus peeked at every other state I've been in..Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)- a vine-type honeysuckle- is extremely invasive in the Southern states. People in NC were horrified at the idea of planting it deliberately- and I got a fit of the giggles when I saw WV and why I need not plant any there..
In Maine it's a different kettle of fish. For this species of honeysuckle, TLC is in order. I am working with it for 2 years now, and invasive is not at all a descriptive term for it.
But Tatarian honeysuckle- a bush-type, not having the haunting fragrance of the vine-type- is oboxiously invasive here in Maine. Much as autumn olive in both states, and multiflora rose and greenbriar ('blaspheme vine') down south- I have more of this stuff every year. I think you are right, birds do spread it. So I was doing wholesale elimination when I finally noticed that it does have a tiny bit of fragrance (was this a defense mechanism on the part of the plant? It knows my weakness!) LW
No! to Japanese Honeysuckle. It is not the native honeysuckle. Its native to Asia, Japan. Its very invasive. It spreads rapidly over natural openings and even woodlands and will shade out native vegetation. It will climb tree trunks. It is somewhat limited by cold winters and was planted for wildlife food and cover, but will alter ground bird habitat. It is prohibited from commercial sale in Illinois. Its an exotic weed, don't plant it. I'm surprised that your Conservation District person even mentioned it. I guess they haven't heard of past President Clinton's Executive order to plant native species only. Your deer will find other cover.
We planted Autumn olive 4 years ago on our family 40 in midland county. The grouse love it. BUT it's taking over...
It was planted in sand where nothing else would grow. I don't know how big a mistake it was yet. It also was a recomended plant by soil conservation my cousin said.
Let me give everyone a heads up with regard to conservation districts in Michigan. In this state they are at the bottom of the conservation food chain and are always strapped for cash. The DNR, MSU Extension, and the Michigan Dept. of Ag are much better funded. Conservation districts are often semi-volunteer outfits that keep going simply because those involved are too stubborn to let them die.
Hence, when districts' spring and fall seedling sales come around all too many of them don't really give a rip about the long term environmental consequences of what they sell to landowners. People like buying what they know and my brothers friends uncle planted autumn olive and says it really took off, so I want 100 of those, too. That's how it goes when you're trying to keep the doors open, thus they sell japanese honeysuckle and autumn olive to whomever will buy the cursed things.
I have a news flash for the districts--customers are NOT always right!!! Do yourself and your neighbors a huge favor, tell your district resource professional to either give you a choice of NATIVE SPECIES or take a hike. You'll thank me in a few years and so will the land you steward. ;)
I just got off the phone with the foresty gal and she told me the same thing about honeysuckle. The lady at the soil conservation just sells the stuff she's not the expert. Thanks for all the good info.
....................marty 8)
Well, with all this discussion about preferring native species, what do you think about planting the paulonia we're trying to nurture?
We have a sandy hillside at my school that I was envisioning as a mini-paulonia grove. That is, if the seedlings survive.
Do you see a problem, long term, with this idea?
BTW, I'm not going to plant something else...just these, if they make it...
The problem with non-native species is they may get into the natural environment and raise havoc, if there are no natural controls.
There are a lot of shrub species that cause problems, and jack rabbits became a problem when introduced in Austrailia without any natural controls (coyotes). Kudzu also comes to mind.
On the tree side, I have seen ailanthus, pawlonia and Norway maple that have become "naturalized". I doubt this will be as much of a problem with your colder winters.
Even if they do propagate, it wouldn't be where they steal vast areas of forest by crowding out current local species. Besides, that pawlonia would be worth a lot more. Maybe you could charge for any seedlings that got loose on neighboring properties. :D Kind of like a royalty.
Well, cool! Would that be like a stud fee for a tom cat? :D
I wonder if the country club on the other side of the fence would welcome the new additions to their landscaping? ::)
yeah, yeah! Coming right up in the middle of the green. The 'Royal Paulownia' hazard! Dude- I would certainly find it a lovely addition to an otherwise boring game- but then, they don't like the little divots I leave (I never thought about carrying seedlings and putting one in everywhere I scooped out a divot- the place would be littered!) :D :D :D
Then, instead of yelling "fore!" you could call out "timber!" :D
Yeah, yeah! Why bother to carry a bag of clubs when all you need is- say- my little Husqvarna 51? That'd put some spice into the game! Water hazard? Just build a bridge! Knock a ball into the woods? Don't let that stop you! And if you do need- say- a wood- if you are an artiste with the chainsaw, you could just carve you one. Forward this idea to Tiger- whatsizname- oh yeah- WOODS!! ;D
LOL! :D :D :D :D