Amur Honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
Family Caprifoliaceae

Characteristics:
* Leaves opposite, ovate, elliptic to lance-shaped, dark green above and lighter beneath, with nonrounded bases, 2-3".
* Flowers white to yellow, 1".
* Fruits red, shiny, translucent berries, 1/4".
* Height: To 12'.

Natural History:
* Flowers May - June.
* Fruits in October.
* Habitat: Shrub borders, meadows, waste places.
* Range: Eastern United States.
* Introduced from Manchuria and Korea in the mid-nineteenth century.

Connections!
* Birds love the brilliant red berries of the Amur honeysuckle; they carry the seeds and disperse them in hedges, borders, and waste places, where the shrub quickly takes over. Many insects feed on the nectar of the flowers.

* Invasive, non-native species like this shrub lack natural enemies like herbivores in their North American range and are displacing native species. When you have the chance, plant native species and avoid invaders like the Amur honeysuckle.