Morrow’s Honeysuckle: A Beautiful Invader You Should Avoid in Your Garden
If you’ve ever wandered through a woodland area in North America and noticed dense thickets of shrubs with small white flowers and bright red berries, you may have encountered Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii). While this Asian native might look charming and smell delightfully fragrant, it’s actually one of those plants that falls squarely into the looks can be deceiving category.
What is Morrow’s Honeysuckle?
Morrow’s honeysuckle is a perennial shrub that originally hails from eastern Asia, including Japan, Korea, and eastern China. This multi-stemmed woody plant typically grows 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16 feet) tall, though it can sometimes reach greater heights depending on growing conditions. You might also see it listed under its synonym, Lonicera insularis Nakai, in some older gardening references.
The shrub produces lovely white to yellow fragrant flowers in spring, followed by bright red berries in summer and fall. Its dense foliage and attractive appearance made it a popular choice for ornamental gardens when it was first introduced to North America.
The Problem: It’s an Invasive Species
Here’s where things get tricky. While Morrow’s honeysuckle might win beauty contests, it’s definitely not winning any environmental stewardship awards. This non-native plant has established itself across a vast range of North American territories and states, including New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and numerous U.S. states from Arkansas to Wyoming.
More concerning is its invasive status in several regions:
- Delaware: Listed as Invasive
- Missouri: Listed as Invasive
- Connecticut: Potentially Invasive, Prohibited
- New Hampshire: Prohibited
- Wisconsin: Restricted
- Alabama: Watch List
What makes this plant so problematic? Morrow’s honeysuckle reproduces spontaneously in the wild without any human help and tends to persist wherever it establishes. It’s incredibly adaptable, thriving in USDA hardiness zones 3-8, and can grow in various soil types from partial shade to full sun. Once established, it’s quite drought tolerant, which sounds great until you realize this resilience helps it outcompete native plants.
Why You Should Skip This Plant
The plant’s wetland status varies by region, but it’s generally classified as facultative upland to obligate upland, meaning it usually grows in non-wetland areas but can occasionally pop up in wetlands too. This adaptability allows it to colonize diverse habitats, often forming dense thickets that crowd out native vegetation.
While the flowers do attract some pollinators, and the berries might seem like they’d benefit wildlife, the ecological damage caused by this invasive shrub far outweighs any potential benefits. Native plants that co-evolved with local wildlife systems provide much better, more sustainable support for pollinators and other creatures.
Better Alternatives for Your Garden
Instead of planting Morrow’s honeysuckle, consider these native alternatives that provide similar aesthetic appeal without the ecological baggage:
- American elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) – offers fragrant white flowers and dark berries loved by birds
- Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) – provides yellow fall color and supports native butterflies
- Serviceberry (Amelanchier species) – beautiful spring flowers, edible berries, and stunning fall color
- Native viburnums – many species offer white flowers and colorful berries while supporting native wildlife
If You Already Have It
If you discover Morrow’s honeysuckle already growing on your property, the responsible thing to do is remove it. The shrub is unfortunately easy to grow (which is part of the problem), but it can be challenging to eliminate completely. You’ll need to remove the entire root system to prevent regrowth, and you may need to repeat treatments over several seasons.
Always dispose of removed plant material responsibly – don’t compost it or leave it where birds might spread the seeds to new locations.
The Bottom Line
While Morrow’s honeysuckle might seem like an attractive, low-maintenance addition to your landscape, its invasive nature makes it a poor choice for environmentally conscious gardeners. By choosing native alternatives instead, you’ll create a beautiful garden that supports local ecosystems rather than disrupting them. Your local wildlife – and your neighbors – will thank you for it.
