Japanese honeysuckle

Description:

Introduced species to New Zealand. The Japanese Honeysuckle is a species of honeysuckle native eastern Asia including Japan, Korea, northern and eastern China, and Taiwan.It is a twining vine able to climb up to 10 metres high or more in trees, with opposite, simple oval leaves 3-8 centimetres long and 2-3 centimetres broad. The flowers are double-tongued, opening white and fading to yellow, and sweetly scented. Oval leaves, lighter green underneath; in winter or low light conditions may be toothed or cut. Fragrant, paired, white or yellow tubular flowers (Sept-May). Black berries.

Habitat:

Shrublands, forest margins, roadsides, plantations, coastal areas, wetland margins, offshore, islands. Well adapted to low light conditions. Frost, wind, drought tolerant. More vigorous in deeper valley soils.

Notes:

An invasive species.Lonicera japonica is an extremely vigorous vine which grows up through the canopy, smothering and ultimately killing the host tree. It competes with native plants for light and nutrients and prevents the understory and small trees from developing, causing a reduction in forest diversity. It is shade and drought tolerant, though it needs full to partial sunlight to grow successfully. It spreads rapidly via above-ground runners that root at nodes and its seeds may be eaten by birds and then dispersed.