Winter honeysuckle is a shrub that grows to a height of about 1-3 meters tall. The plant can sometimes extend to a height of about 4.6 meters. Lonicera fragrantissima is the scientific name for the winter honeysuckle, but it has many other familiar names that can be used to refer to the plant such as the sweetest honeysuckle or the winter flowering honeysuckle among many other titles. This plant species was first discovered in China by Robert Fortune who was from Scotland. It was then introduced to Europe in 1845, and after that, it paved its way to the United States due to its ornamental benefits. The shrub could, therefore, be found in most of the Americans gardens and was highly utilized for decoration.

Winter honeysuckle has flowers that are small in size and creamy white and are highly fragrant even though they do not have an outstanding appearance. L. fragrantissima has rounded foliage that is bluish where the red berries that are borne in late spring hide. The plant flourishes any time when planted in a good loamy and moist but well-drained soil. This plant is deer resistant and usually pest and disease free; hence it is easy and cheap to maintain. It survives well in acid, alkaline and neutral conditions; hence it has a higher chance of survival under different circumstances making it more tolerant. The seeds are usually dispersed by the animals that eat the red berries produced, and that is how its growth is spread from one place to the other as the scattered seeds germinate and grow into new plants. Hummingbirds and butterflies are examples of animals that feed on the honeysuckle fruits thus dispersing the seeds.

It is an attractive shrub and can help beautify its new environment of invasion. It should, however, be realized that when the plants invade within the right conditions with the proper PH and well-drained soils and move out of cultivation, it becomes a troublesome weed. The plant can, therefore, affect the growth of other plants and might cause environmental damage. When winter honeysuckle invades to an environment where other crops have been planted, hey might weaken the other planted vegetation due to its high resistance characteristics and that may pose risks to other plants. Such a state may hurt the economy if they are cash crops or may cause health issues if planted for subsistence use. It is a threat to the landscape as well as it may rapidly grow in an area forming a dense shrub layer which out other native plants. Even though the plant produces exceptionally fragrant flowers that help beautify the environment, its berries have been reported to be unhealthy to wildlife. The plant also creates a canopy of shade on the forest floor suffocating other native wildflowers due to its ability to retain its leaves longer than other plants. When the plants invade to areas not needed, it is possible to remove it mechanically or chemically. The plant has a high chance of regenerating, and it is therefore not easy to just cut or spray once and expect the plant to be eliminated as it will always try to revive quickly. It is therefore recommended to uproot and spay regularly to prevent the plant from making new leaves. It is also possible to uproot these plant anytime it emerges to avoid its spread.

References

Lonicera fragrantissima (Sweetest Honeysuckle)  (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.gardenia.net/plant/Lonicera-fragrantissima-Sweetest-Honeysuckle

How to stop honeysuckle invasion [Web log post]. (2012, November 14). Retrieved from https://www.daytondailynews.com/lifestyles/home–garden/how-stop-honeysuckle-invasion/QVqfDKZpTMvcM1VjJWfEWN/

Winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima), by Dr. William C. Welch. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/hortupdate_archives/2001/jan01/art1jan.html

 
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