Shrubby Honeysuckles Lonicera morrowii & L. tatarica Robust deciduous shrubs that forms a dense mass, 6 – 12’ high and as wide. Leaf out early and hold leaves late. Where found: Hedgerows, forest edges, wetlands, abandoned farm fields. Morrow’s Honeysuckle: Leaves bluish green, opposite, fuzzy, smooth-edged, 1.5 – 2.5.” Stems light brown changing to gray, with hollowed out brown pith, & bark often shredding. Flowers creamy white, tubular, in pairs in the leaf axils, late May to early June. Turn yellow with age. Fruit red, ¼”, mid-summer to early fall. Shrubs Shrubby Honeysuckles (page 2) Tatarian Honeysuckle: 1. Leaves bluish green, opposite, hairless, smooth-edged, 1 – 2.5” long. Stems green changing to brown, with hollowed out brown pith, & bark often shredding. Flowers profuse pink to white, tubular, in pairs in the leaf axils, late May to June. Fruit red or orange, ¼”, summer to early fall. Similar native plants: American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis) has solid pith inside stem and blooms earlier (before June), is usually less than 5’ and found in forest understory. Snowberry (Symphoricarpus albus) has bell-shaped flowers and dense clusters of white berries. Coralberry (S. orbiculatus) has dense clusters of pink berries. Harpswell Invasive Plants Partnership, 2015 (4/2015) [Sources: Maine Invasive Plants, bulletin #2507; M. Dirr, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants, Invasive Plant Atlas of New England]
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