ID Honeysuckle shrub species (L. morrowii & L. tatarica)

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]