Honeysuckle

 Honeysuckle

Here’s a link to the honeysuckle map at EMS.  We used our GPS to map out the areas where honeysuckle was most abundant our campus.  Once we knew where it was located we participated in a removal day with other students from the Edge Academy: http://bit.ly/15QGNGT

About Honeysuckle:

Honeysuckle is a great and pretty plant but it is invasive and it is taking over in Vermont. Bush Honeysuckles invades Vermont’s forests and fields. They are easy to see in May and June when their yellow, white or pink flowers are in bloom. Honeysuckle is a non native plant in Vermont. Trumpet honeysuckle is a native honeysuckle variety which grows rapidly and can become uncontrollable; constant pruning is recommended for control .

to Read more visit this website : Invasive Vs. Native Honeysuckle | eHow http://www.ehow.com/facts_6067024_invasive-vs_-native-honeysuckle.html#ixzz2VXfrVlW2

What do they look like/ how to identify them step by step:

• 1
• Notice the plant's overall characteristics. Bush honeysuckle grows up to 15 feet in height, growing with an upright, shrub-like appearance. Many spreading branches form at the base of the plant.
• 2
• Wait until mid-spring, when the identifying characteristics of the honeysuckle bush will be most recognizable.

• 3
• Observe the leaf growth. Bush honeysuckle leaves grow in an opposite pattern, which means that they will not line up on either side of the stem but grow in a staggered pattern instead.
• 4
• Look at the leaves. Bush honeysuckle leaves end with a sharp, tapered point.
• 5
• Examine the flowers. Bush honeysuckle will bloom very small, aromatic white flowers that blossom after the leaves have unfurled.
• 6
• Look to the ground for the dense undergrowth that is common with bush honeysuckle. The undergrowth will grow so thickly it almost completely shades the ground beneath the plant, making it all but impossible for other types of plants to grow.
• 7
• Observe the flowers in summer and fall. The white flowers of the honeysuckle bush become red berries during fall months.

Facts:

• When American Robins (Turdus migratorius) build nests in non-native honeysuckles they suffer a higher predation rate than when their nests are built in native shrub species like arrowwood
• Honeysuckle is one of the most known invasive specie
• it can be very hard to controll it
• it can be used in soup and meals
• it is very pretty and some people grow it for its flowers.

Is Honeysuckle found on the EMS campus?  Yes!  We found a lot of honeysuckle on our campus.  We also helped remove honeysuckle at Audubon and Shelburne Farms.