Asian bush honeysuckle is an invasive shrub that plagues Kansas yards, farms, roadsides and forests. While control can be challenging, it is not impossible.

Every homeowner who controls bush honeysuckle in their landscape reduces the likelihood of it spreading to wild spaces where it will crowd out native species in a short span of time.

In early November, bush honeysuckle is easy to spot. It often holds its leaves longer than many native shrubs and produces bright red berries that stay clustered next to the stem. Controlling bush honeysuckle this time of year also reduces the likelihood of harming non-target plants as they have already entered dormancy and lost their leaves.

To effectively control bush honeysuckle, homeowners will need to either chemically or mechanically treat, although for large stands both methods may be utilized.

If you notice small bush honeysuckle plants in your landscape, hand pulling is extremely effective. This is often done when seedlings are being spread from an adjacent property. As the shrubs increase in size, clippers, axes or chainsaws may be required. After cutting plants back, stumps may need chemical treatment to prevent regrowth. Products with the active ingredient triclopyr can be used to treat large cut stumps to prevent regrowth.

A 1%-2% glyphosate solution is effective for bush honeysuckle control — especially from late summer into early winter. Keep in mind that late summer applications, when other plants still have their leaves, may result in damage of non-target plants if extreme care is not taken to avoid these plants.

For large stands of bush honeysuckle, a backpack mist blower is a great option. The backpack sprayer will use fewer chemicals while spraying a larger area — with the same effectiveness as less efficient hand sprayers. Make sure the specific glyphosate product you have selected is labeled for use in a mist blower. If you are treating near areas of water, consider aquatic formulations.

Homeowners are often disappointed when they bring samples of bush honeysuckle to our office only to find out it is invasive. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that a homeowner wants to keep the shrub but will “ensure it doesn’t spread.” That isn’t how nature works. Bush honeysuckle is extremely adaptable with pretty white flowers in the spring and bright red berries in the fall. While the shrub does have desirable characteristics, it is those same traits that make it devastating to our local ecosystem.

Its adaptability allows bush honeysuckle to out-compete with most native species, and the bright red berries are carried far and wide by the birds and small mammals that eat them. It is our responsibility to protect our natural world, and in the case of bush honeysuckle, that means complete eradication.

Information about renting backpack mist blowers through the Kansas Forest Service for bush honeysuckle control can be found on its website, www.kansasforests.org/events/BushHoneysuckle.html.

Ariel Whitely-Noll is the horticulture agent for Shawnee County Research and Extension. She can be reached at arielw@ksu.edu.