European fly honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum)

Common Names: Dwarf honeysuckle, fly honeysuckle

Description:

European fly honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum) is an upright, deciduous shrub in the honeysuckle family, native to Europe and parts of western Asia [1][2]. It was planted across North America as a hardy ornamental and hedge shrub, then escaped into old fields, forest edges, and yards in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and New England [1][2]. MISIN tracks it because, like the other invasive bush honeysuckles, it forms dense thickets that crowd out native plants and lower the variety of plants in an area [2][5].

Habit:

European fly honeysuckle is a rounded, arching shrub that grows about 6 to 10 feet tall and roughly as wide [2]. Its leaves are paired across from each other on the stem (opposite), oval with a rounded base, and slightly hairy, in shades of gray-green to yellow-green [2]. In late May and early June it produces creamy white to pale yellow tubular flowers in pairs, each pair sitting on a small red, leafy base that often stays on the plant after the petals fall; the flowers are followed by paired dark red berries that ripen in mid- to late summer [2].

The surest check works on any shrub honeysuckle: cut through a larger stem and look at the center. Invasive bush honeysuckles, including this one, have a hollow brown core (pith), while native honeysuckles have a solid white pith [3]. It is easiest to spot in late spring while in flower, and again in late summer and fall, when the bright red paired berries stand out and the shrub often holds its green leaves later than nearby native plants [2].

At-a-glance cues:

1. A cut stem shows a hollow brown center (pith); native honeysuckles have a solid white pith [3]
2. Leaves paired (opposite), oval with a rounded base, and slightly hairy [2]
3. Creamy white to pale yellow tubular flowers in pairs in late May?early June, on a small red leafy base [2]
4. Paired dark red berries, about ? inch across, ripening mid- to late summer [2][3]

Leaves:

1. Arrangement: opposite (paired across the stem) [2][3]
2. Shape: oval to egg-shaped with a rounded base, about 1?2.5 in (2.5?6 cm) long [2]
3. Margin: smooth (untoothed) [3]
4. Surface: slightly hairy [2]
5. Color: gray-green, turning yellow-green in fall [2]

Stems:

1. Habit: woody, deciduous shrub, rounded with arching branches, about 6?10 ft (2?3 m) tall [2]
2. Pith: the center of larger stems is hollow and brown ? the key trait separating invasive bush honeysuckles from native honeysuckles, which have a solid white pith [3]
3. Bark: gray; older stems become ridged, shredding, or fissured [2][3]
4. Surface: young stems are hairy [2]

Flowers:

1. Color: creamy white to pale yellow, sometimes tinged with red [2]
2. Shape: tubular and two-lipped (an upper and lower set of fused petals) [2]
3. Arrangement: borne in pairs from the leaf joints, on a small red, leafy base (bracts) that often stays after the petals drop [2]
4. Bloom time: late May into early June [2]

Fruit and seeds:

1. Type: a small, round berry, borne in pairs [2]
2. Color: dark red to scarlet [2]
3. Size: about ? inch (6 mm) across [3]
4. Ripening: mid- to late summer into early fall [2]
5. Dispersal: birds and other animals eat the berries and spread the seeds [2]

Habitat:

European fly honeysuckle grows in open, sunny, and disturbed places: old fields, forest edges, floodplains, roadsides, vacant lots, and yards and gardens [2]. It tolerates a wide range of conditions and does well in poor, well-drained soils and in the partial shade of woodland edges [2]. Native to Europe and parts of western Asia, it was introduced to North America as an ornamental and now grows in scattered locations across the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and New England [1][2].

Reproduction:

European fly honeysuckle spreads mainly by seed. Birds and other animals eat its red berries and drop the seeds far from the parent plant ? which is how it shows up along fencerows, woodland edges, and untended corners of a yard [2]. A mature shrub can produce a heavy crop of berries each year, and the seedlings grow quickly into new shrubs that build into thickets [2].

The shrubs also resprout strongly from the base when they are cut or browsed, so a plant that is only cut down grows right back [4]. For control timing, pull or dig young plants before they start fruiting, and remove or bag the berry clusters in late summer before birds can spread them [2][4].

Impact and Damage:

For a homeowner, European fly honeysuckle is mainly a space-taker. It grows fast into a dense, wide shrub and forms thickets that crowd out garden plants and take over hedgerows and the edges of a yard [2]. It is not known to harm people or pets [2].

For natural areas, the impact is more serious. Like the other invasive bush honeysuckles, it forms dense stands that shade the ground and reduce the number and variety of native plants beneath them [2][5]. Research on invasive bush honeysuckles has shown that their shade and root competition cut the growth and seed production of native woodland wildflowers [5]. Their early leaf-out and late leaf-drop give them a longer growing season than many native plants, which helps them spread along forest edges and into open woods [2].

Similar species:

European fly honeysuckle is one of several invasive bush honeysuckles that are easily confused. They all share paired flowers, paired red or orange berries, and ? the key shared trait ? a hollow brown center (pith) in larger stems, unlike the solid white pith of native honeysuckles [3].

Bell's honeysuckle (Lonicera ? bella) is a hybrid of Tatarian and Morrow's honeysuckle and the hardest to tell apart [4]. Its flowers open light pink to white and its leaves are somewhat hairy, while European fly honeysuckle has creamy white to pale yellow flowers, each pair set on a small red, leafy base [2][4].

Morrow's honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) also has hairy leaves and white flowers that age to yellow, so it looks very much like European fly honeysuckle [4]. Its leaves are oblong and densely gray-downy beneath, and because the difference is so subtle, the two are easy to mix up and are managed the same way [4].

Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) has bright pink flowers and smooth, hairless leaves, which set it apart from the creamy-flowered, slightly hairy European fly honeysuckle [4].

Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is the largest of the group, growing up to about 20 feet, with leaves that taper to a long, narrow point and stay green well into fall [3]. European fly honeysuckle is smaller and mounded, with oval, rounded-based leaves [2].

Monitoring and rapid response:

Signs to watch for:

1. A rounded, arching, gray-barked shrub 6?10 feet tall in old fields, forest edges, roadsides, fencerows, or untended yards [2]
2. Opposite, slightly hairy, oval leaves that often stay green later into fall than nearby native plants [2]
3. Paired creamy white to pale yellow tubular flowers in late May?early June, on a small red leafy base [2]
4. Paired dark red berries in mid- to late summer; cut a larger stem to check for the hollow brown pith of an invasive honeysuckle [2][3]

What you can do:

1. Pull or dig up seedlings and young plants by the roots when the soil is moist, in spring or early fall [4]
2. Dig out larger shrubs, taking the root crown ? cutting alone makes them resprout strongly from the base [4]
3. Cut and bag the berry clusters in late summer before birds carry the seed away, and put plant parts in the trash rather than composting them [2][4]
4. Plan to revisit for several years; new seedlings keep appearing from the seed bank and from birds [2][4]
5. For volunteer crews and land managers: remove small, outlying shrubs and seedling flushes first before they form thickets, work along the woodland edges and fencerows where seed arrives, and repeat across several seasons because cut stumps resprout [4]

When to call a professional:

1. Large, mature shrubs with thick root crowns that keep resprouting after cutting, or dense established thickets [4]
2. Infestations along rights-of-way or in sensitive natural areas where digging is impractical [4]
3. For chemical control options, contact a licensed applicator or your local cooperative extension office.

Report sightings to MISIN. Help track this species' spread by submitting observations through the MISIN web site or the MISIN mobile app (Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS). Photos at multiple angles paired with a precise GPS location are the most valuable data for confirming new occurrences and triggering rapid-response review.

Credits:

1. USDA NRCS Plants Database. Lonicera xylosteum L. (dwarf honeysuckle). plants.usda.gov
2. The Morton Arboretum. European fly honeysuckle (Lonicera xylosteum). mortonarb.org
3. Penn State Extension. Shrub Honeysuckle: Accurate Identification. extension.psu.edu
4. Maine Natural Areas Program (Maine Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry). Invasive Plants: Shrubby Honeysuckles. maine.gov
5. Miller KE, Gorchov DL (2004). "The invasive shrub Lonicera maackii reduces growth and fecundity of perennial forest herbs." Oecologia 139:359?375. semanticscholar.org

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