Lonicera spp

There are several invasive "bush" honeysuckle plants, varying in aggressiveness. They all have opposite, smooth-edged leaves, no thorns, and hollow stems:

Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) - Recognizable by its white flowers. This is the most common species in Acton.

Showy Fly or Bell's Honeysuckle (Lonicera bella, a hybrid of Lonicera morrowii and Lonicera tatarica). This variety is recognizable by its white, pink flowers.

Tatarian Honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) - This variant is recognizable by its pink flowers.

It spreads by root and branches that grow long enough to get pushed into the ground, where they re-root and grow into another plant. It is also spread by seed by birds.

Removal

Like most invasive plants, Bush Honeysuckle needs to have its roots removed. It tends to have several large roots, but they aren't deep. While interconnected at the base, each stem of a bush tends to be connected to one or two roots, making a divide-and-conquer approach possible.

There will be regrowth from any small root fragments left behind, which will require repeated clearings.

Larger plants may be cut back repeatedly, multiple times per growing season, until dead.

Removed plant material can be placed in a brush pile.

Common Mis-Identifications

There aren't many native plants misidentified as Bush Honeysuckle.