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scandia_gw

What R these plants?

scandia
17 years ago

I have TONS of this plant growing along my north lot line. Is it wild honeysuckle??

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This plant is also growing along my north lot line...The leaves and stems look a lot like a rose and the flower smells like a wild rose. I think it is wild black berry. Does anybody know what it is???

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Comments (20)

  • troyers
    17 years ago

    I think you're right on both...the honeysuckle is going crazy here right now..I love the smell in the morning and at night..one of my favorites!

  • tedp2
    17 years ago

    You're right on the huneysuckle. If not kept trimmed it will take over your propeerty. It's almost as agressive as kudzu. Just doesn't grow quiet as fast.
    You're wrong on the other. It's a multiflora rose which also grows wild in much of the south. They are very tough and tenatious and can become a nuisance too. They can become very dense and thick. At one time they were planted along roadside right-of-ways in the hope they would stop out of control autos. They are sometimes used as cattle fences.

  • scandia
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks. Yes, these plants are all over the lot line where an old barbed wire fence was. I like the plants, since the area where they are is wild. The Honeysuckle is drowning out the horsey smells right now. (nice)

    I should have noticed this by now but.....do you know if the multi flora rose blooms all summer?

  • lucky_p
    17 years ago

    tedp got 'em. Japanese honeysuckle and multiflora rose. Both are undesirable invasive aliens.

  • troyers
    17 years ago

    Hey, I got one right! haha

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    17 years ago

    No, that horrid rose won't bloom all summer....probably just over a four week period at the peak.

  • scandia
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    So the Honeysuckle is Japanese Honeysuckle, not wild??? It grows everywhere like it is wild...Was that a common plant to put along cattle fence too??? My house is built on an OLD home place. Does that mean someone planted them at some point in time in the past??? SO neither one of them is wild or native??? (POUT)

    I HAD kudzu back there too. I have finally gotten rid of that completely by spraying Gallons and GALLONS of double strength round up on it. YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR. It took me 4 years of spraying to get rid of it. Finally this year when I went hunting for kudzu armed with round-up. I did not find any. (happy)

  • tedp2
    17 years ago

    I'm not sure what your definition of wild is, but my definition is any plant or animal that grows on it's own without human cultivation or intervention. Thus formerly domesticated cats and dogs can become wild.
    Just because those aren't native plants doesn't mean to me that they are not wild.
    I believe huneysuckle was originally grown on trelies in gardens or at the edge of porches to provide an aromatic shade. Birds ate the seeds and the rest is history. It would not make a good fence since cattle will eat it. Indeed,it is now one of the leading foods of "wild" deer.
    I can remember when the Korean Kudzu was being introduced in the Southeastern US in the 1930's. It was touted as a good cattle food, hay source and erosion preventer. It is neither. Cattle will eat it, but only when there's no other greenery available. Due to it's viney nature, it would be difficult to mow and erosion still takes place underneath the lush leaves. It propagates sexually with seed and asexually by extending out long runners which then take root and become a new plant.
    I did not know that multiflora rose was a non-native but am not surprised.
    I have asked several horticulturist whether the wild blackberry, prevalent in the south, is a native or an introduced fruit gone wild. None knew.

  • jeff_al
    17 years ago

    if by wild you mean native then, no, neither are native.
    they have both become "wild" in the sense that they spread extensively and may or may not have been planted by someone.
    birds/animals spread both of their seeds and they also colonize areas by suckering. i think everyone probably likes the fragrance of the honeysuckle but it has become a pest to many gardeners.
    i don't know if any roses are native here but there are native honeysuckles; just not this one.
    the state flower of alabama, camellia japonica, is not native but it also is not known to be an aggressive species. i feel fortunate to find a seedling of one of those plants and i have about 20 different cultivars.

  • Iris GW
    17 years ago

    Japanese honeysuckle a favorite of deer? I don't think so. If it was, we would not have nearly so much of it. I think the term y'all are searching for is "naturalized". That's what these non-natives have done.

    Japanese honeysuckle is an absolute pest in the southeast that is smothering out acres and acres of native plants. Except for when it meets up with chinese privet (or "hedge") and then the two of them just battle it out, with the honeysuckle usually coming out "on top". Deer don't eat the privet either, unfortunately.

    In my shady yard the honeysuckle doesn't get enough sun to flower so it just carpets the woodland floor, waving it's tendrils in the air. It will take me several years to remove it all.

    It has a nice smell, but it's the only good thing about it. And I don't think the smell is worth it.

  • catbird
    17 years ago

    These plants are probably growing along your fence because they don't get mowed or pulled up there. You'll find them appearing in other places, too. I finally got rid of most of the honeysuckle (still pops up in various parts of my yard) and fence roses along the fence we share with a neighbor. Now I'm battling the morning glories that must have come from the "wild flower mix" seeds he planted several years ago. They are coming up everywhere!

  • tedp2
    17 years ago

    At my hunting camp honeysuckle no longer carpets the woodland floor as it did 20 years ago, due to overgrazing by overpopulated deer. There are still established vines growing up into the trees that reseed every year but the deer keep it in check.
    Altough I haven't seen them doing it, I have seen many privett bushes that have been nibbled on too.
    At night during the growing season, they come out into an open field to graze on Kudzu which overtook the field years ago.
    We got special permits to harvest does to control the population long before it became legal statewide.

  • scandia
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    My definition of wild is the plant grows in uninhabited areas naturally and natively...Meaning it is a wild (untamed) plant that is native. Definately they are untamed just not native. I wonder if they are wild plants from someplace else. I guess I also mean NOT a HYBRID in using the word wild.

    The multi flora rose is mixed in with the honey suckle along part of my North lot line and the back lot line. The old wire and cedar post fence is still in the back but someone removed the fence along the north lot line. (not me)

    I am still happy about them. I just do not have enough time to go back there and move them. So they are taking over right now. I have a friend that wants some of each of these plants for her small yard. I told her to keep them under control because they would take over. Hopefully they won't take over her neighbors yards..(oh boy)

    I am considering moving 1 small multi flora rose into my new 60' x 12' flower garden in my immediate backyard. I am not sure I want to take the chance if it will spread everywhere. . (sigh)

    Thanks for the info all.

  • Iris GW
    17 years ago

    Scandia, they are wild (that is native) plants in Asia. The honeysuckle is from Japan.

    I tell people that these exotic plants are doing to native plants the same thing that happens to us when our jobs get sent overseas. I always hope that helps people relate to the concept! :)

    Here is a link that might be useful: Multiflora rose (native to several places)

  • terramadre
    17 years ago

    You may want to read about dealing with invasive plant species

    Here is a link that might be useful: More info

  • tedp2
    17 years ago

    It probably will be safe to transplant muiltiflora rose into your garden as you will keep it trimmed and mowed around there. The hips (seed pods) are sour but very rich in vitamin C.
    The same cannot be said for huneysuckle as it can send very long runners at ground level underneath the grass where you would not see it.

  • scandia
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Eventually I may remove all of both plants and find something native to replace them. I did manage to erradicate all the kudzu by using round-up over a four year period. (SIGH) The Honeysuckle has such a lovely scent. BUT, I would rather not have evasive plants from Asia..

    My lot runs back over 1000 feet. The North and back lot lines are Misc. mature trees and the Honeysuckle and Multi Flora Rose. (just the north and back lot lines)

    These lot lines are my next landscaping challenge. I plan to work on approximately 100 or more feet each season. Yep it will take me years to finish. I would guess from what I have learned from you all, that I should concentrate on getting rid of ALL the Honeysuckle and Multi Flora Rose before I do anything else.

    I have to think about removing it all though.

    At least in one area back there I want to put Black Eyed Susan and Heirloom Tiger Lily.

    Thanks again.

  • kathyinalabama
    17 years ago

    What beautiful photographs!! What kind of camera do you use?

  • scandia
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    It is a Kodak Easy Share Z740 with 10X Zoom.

    It takes amazing pictures...Look on the butterfly forum I have a topic "What kind of Butterfly is this?" The camera takes amazing pictures of butterflies.

    All credit goes to the camera.

  • alas_babylon
    17 years ago

    The Japanese honeysuckle and Chinese privet are the hardest things to get rid of. The couple we bought our farm from 9 years ago had 25 goats and nice clean fence lines. They also sprayed the fencelines, and what didn't die the goats ate. Now, after all this time, the honeysuckle has not only covered the fences, but pulled them down in some cases!

    I didn't want to use poison, so I hand cut all the honeysuckle, this on hogwire goat fence (vertical and horizontal wires making small squares) and it just grew back BETTER than it was before I cut it down! My wife got me a propane weed dragon and this will only kill the tops which will grow back. I just bought a backpack sprayer from Sears and will reluctantly start spraying. Also, privet was in flower (seems its biennial where I'm at) this year, and this means the birds will be eating it and pooping on my finally nice clean fence lines, so I'll have to look forward to treating them in the years to come.

    Finally, I'm finding more and more Bradford pear growing up on my fince lines (where the J honeysuckle hasn't smothered it). This stuff sure has some long, sharp thorns! I was running the tractor along the fence line trying to cut as close in as possible and wham! This stuff pierced the skin on my leg clean thru! Is this the new invasive plant of the future?

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