Lonicera maackii
Encyclopedia
Lonicera maackii is a species of honeysuckle
in the family Caprifoliaceae
, native to temperate Asia
in northern and western China
(south to Yunnan
), Mongolia
, Japan
(central and northern Honshū
, rare), Korea
, and southeastern Russia
(Primorsky Krai
).
It is listed as an endangered species
in Japan. It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized
in New Zealand
and the eastern United States
; in the forest
s of the latter, it has become an important invasive species
.
It is a deciduous
large shrub
growing to 6 m tall with stems up to 10 centimeters diameter. The leaves
are oppositely arranged, 5–9 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, with an entire margin, and with at least some rough hairs on them. The flower
s are produced in pairs, commonly with several pairs grouped together in clusters; they are 2 cm long, two-lipped, white later turning yellow or light orange in color; flowering is from mid spring to early summer.
The fruit
is a bright red to black semi-translucent berry
2–6 mm diameter containing numerous small seed
s; they ripen in autumn, and are eaten by bird
s, which disperse
the seeds in their droppings. It is fast growing and favours shady habitats such as the forest
understory
, neglected urban area
s, and fence rows. It can form extremely dense thickets.
for its attractive flowers, and also as a hedge. A number of cultivar
s have been selected for garden use, including 'Erubescens' with pink flowers, and 'Rem Red' with erect habit.
The flowers are sometimes used by child
ren, who remove the blossom by hand, and pull off the bottom to suck out the sweet nectar in the center. The red berries are mildly poison
ous to humans and should not be eaten.
Spread of this plant is illegal or controlled in some areas of the United States due to its well documented invasive character. It is listed as a "invasive, banned" species in Connecticut
, "prohibited" in Massachusetts
, and a "Class B noxious weed
" in Vermont
. It is also officially listed as an invasive species by government agencies in Wisconsin
and Tennessee
.
This plant is adaptable and successful in a wide range of conditions. In the United States, Amur honeysuckle was once planted to control erosion, and as hedges. It spread quickly as birds eat the fruit and disperse the seeds, and was soon naturalized. Notably, in deciduous forest understories of the eastern United States it forms dense growths with thick canopies that shade out native shrubs, young trees, and wild flowers. Uncontrolled, these growths create a near monoculture
of Amur Honeysuckle. This species poses a serious threat not only to the diversity of the ecosystems which they invade but also to forest regeneration itself. as the plant is known for reducing the growth and diversity of native seedlings. Moreover studies have shown that plant is responsible for having a negative impact on birds, and tadpoles. In 2010 a study showed that plant may also be linked with tick-born diseases such as Erlichiosis.
Honeysuckle can be controlled by cutting, flaming, or burning the plant to root level and repeating on two-week increments until nutrient reserves in the roots are depleted. To ensure eradication newly cut stumps should be treated with herbicide
. Control through prescribed burning has been found to be most effective during the seed dispersal phase (late summer, early fall). Honeysuckle can also be controlled through annual applications of glyphosate which thoroughly soak the leaves, or through grubbing of the shallowly rooted young plants. Both of these methods are only practical if high labor costs and soil damage are not of concern.
Due to the invasive nature of this species and the ecological threat it possess it may be inadvisable to cultivate this plant in climates similar to those found where this species has become invasive (e.g. eastern United States). It has been suggested that existing specimens found outside of their native range in east Asia should be removed and replaced with alternative non-invasive species. Possible alternative fast growing, shade tolerant, deciduous shrubs include Calycanthus floridus, Cornus mas, Cornus sericea, Forsythia
hybrids, Hydrangea
spp., Syringa vulgaris, Viburnum cassinoides, Viburnum dentatum
, Viburnum dilatatum, Viburnum opulus
, Viburnum prunifolium
, Viburnum trilobum
, Weigela florida.
. This river forms the border between the Russian Far East and Manchuria
in China
. L. maackii is native to the area surrounding this river. The species name maackii is derived from Richard Maack
, a 19th century Russia
n naturalist.
Some internet
sources incorrectly list the species authority as (Rupr.) Herder; the correct authority is (Rupr.) Maxim.
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the family Caprifoliaceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. There are about 180 species of honeysuckle, 100 of which occur in China; Europe, India and North America have only about 20 native species each...
in the family Caprifoliaceae
Caprifoliaceae
The Caprifoliaceae or honeysuckle family is a clade consisting of about 800 dicotyledonous flowering plants, with a nearly cosmopolitan distribution; centres of diversity are found in eastern North America and eastern Asia, while they are absent in tropical and southern Africa.They are mostly...
, native to temperate Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
in northern and western China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(south to Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
), Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(central and northern Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, rare), Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, and southeastern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai
Primorsky Krai , informally known as Primorye , is a federal subject of Russia . Primorsky means "maritime" in Russian, hence the region is sometimes referred to as Maritime Province or Maritime Territory. Its administrative center is in the city of Vladivostok...
).
It is listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
in Japan. It has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized
Naturalisation (biology)
In biology, naturalisation is any process by which a non-native organism spreads into the wild and its reproduction is sufficient to maintain its population. Such populations are said to be naturalised....
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and the eastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; in the forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s of the latter, it has become an important invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
.
It is a deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
large shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing to 6 m tall with stems up to 10 centimeters diameter. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are oppositely arranged, 5–9 cm long and 2–4 cm broad, with an entire margin, and with at least some rough hairs on them. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are produced in pairs, commonly with several pairs grouped together in clusters; they are 2 cm long, two-lipped, white later turning yellow or light orange in color; flowering is from mid spring to early summer.
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a bright red to black semi-translucent berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
2–6 mm diameter containing numerous small seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s; they ripen in autumn, and are eaten by bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s, which disperse
Seed dispersal
Seed dispersal is the movement or transport of seeds away from the parent plant. Plants have limited mobility and consequently rely upon a variety of dispersal vectors to transport their propagules, including both abiotic and biotic vectors. Seeds can be dispersed away from the parent plant...
the seeds in their droppings. It is fast growing and favours shady habitats such as the forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
, neglected urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s, and fence rows. It can form extremely dense thickets.
Cultivation and uses
It is grown as an ornamental plantOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
for its attractive flowers, and also as a hedge. A number of cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s have been selected for garden use, including 'Erubescens' with pink flowers, and 'Rem Red' with erect habit.
The flowers are sometimes used by child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren, who remove the blossom by hand, and pull off the bottom to suck out the sweet nectar in the center. The red berries are mildly poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous to humans and should not be eaten.
As an invasive species
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, "prohibited" in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and a "Class B noxious weed
Weed
A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-controlled settings, especially farm fields and gardens, but also lawns, parks, woods, and other areas. More specifically, the term is often used to...
" in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. It is also officially listed as an invasive species by government agencies in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
This plant is adaptable and successful in a wide range of conditions. In the United States, Amur honeysuckle was once planted to control erosion, and as hedges. It spread quickly as birds eat the fruit and disperse the seeds, and was soon naturalized. Notably, in deciduous forest understories of the eastern United States it forms dense growths with thick canopies that shade out native shrubs, young trees, and wild flowers. Uncontrolled, these growths create a near monoculture
Monoculture
Monoculture is the agricultural practice of producing or growing one single crop over a wide area. It is also known as a way of farming practice of growing large stands of a single species. It is widely used in modern industrial agriculture and its implementation has allowed for large harvests from...
of Amur Honeysuckle. This species poses a serious threat not only to the diversity of the ecosystems which they invade but also to forest regeneration itself. as the plant is known for reducing the growth and diversity of native seedlings. Moreover studies have shown that plant is responsible for having a negative impact on birds, and tadpoles. In 2010 a study showed that plant may also be linked with tick-born diseases such as Erlichiosis.
Honeysuckle can be controlled by cutting, flaming, or burning the plant to root level and repeating on two-week increments until nutrient reserves in the roots are depleted. To ensure eradication newly cut stumps should be treated with herbicide
Herbicide
Herbicides, also commonly known as weedkillers, are pesticides used to kill unwanted plants. Selective herbicides kill specific targets while leaving the desired crop relatively unharmed. Some of these act by interfering with the growth of the weed and are often synthetic "imitations" of plant...
. Control through prescribed burning has been found to be most effective during the seed dispersal phase (late summer, early fall). Honeysuckle can also be controlled through annual applications of glyphosate which thoroughly soak the leaves, or through grubbing of the shallowly rooted young plants. Both of these methods are only practical if high labor costs and soil damage are not of concern.
Due to the invasive nature of this species and the ecological threat it possess it may be inadvisable to cultivate this plant in climates similar to those found where this species has become invasive (e.g. eastern United States). It has been suggested that existing specimens found outside of their native range in east Asia should be removed and replaced with alternative non-invasive species. Possible alternative fast growing, shade tolerant, deciduous shrubs include Calycanthus floridus, Cornus mas, Cornus sericea, Forsythia
Forsythia
Forsythia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Oleaceae . There are about 11 species, mostly native to eastern Asia, but one native to southeastern Europe. The common name is also Forsythia; the genus is named after William Forsyth.-Growth:They are deciduous shrubs typically growing to a...
hybrids, Hydrangea
Hydrangea
Hydrangea is a genus of about 70 to 75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. By far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Japan, and Korea...
spp., Syringa vulgaris, Viburnum cassinoides, Viburnum dentatum
Viburnum dentatum
Viburnum dentatum — southern arrowwood or arrowwood viburnum or roughish arrowwood — is a small shrub, native to the Eastern United States and Canada from Maine south to Northern Florida and Eastern Texas....
, Viburnum dilatatum, Viburnum opulus
Viburnum opulus
Viburnum opulus is a species of Viburnum, native to Europe and Asia. Some botanists also treat the closely related North American species Viburnum trilobum as a variety of it , or a subspecies, Viburnum opulus subsp...
, Viburnum prunifolium
Viburnum prunifolium
Viburnum prunifolium , is a species of Viburnum native to southeastern North America, from Connecticut west to eastern Kansas, and south to Alabama and Texas.-Growth:It is a deciduous shrub or small tree growing to 2–9 m tall with a short crooked trunk and stout...
, Viburnum trilobum
Viburnum trilobum
Viburnum trilobum is a species of Viburnum native to northern North America, from Newfoundland west to British Columbia, south to Washington state and east to northern Virginia, with an isolated population in New Mexico...
, Weigela florida.
Etymology and authority
The common name Amur Honeysuckle comes from the Amur River which is the world's eighth longest riverRiver
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
. This river forms the border between the Russian Far East and Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. L. maackii is native to the area surrounding this river. The species name maackii is derived from Richard Maack
Richard Maack
Richard Otto Maack was a 19th century Russian naturalist, geographer, and anthropologist. He is most known for his exploration of the Russian Far East and Siberia, particularly the Ussuri and Amur River valleys...
, a 19th century Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n naturalist.
Some internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
sources incorrectly list the species authority as (Rupr.) Herder; the correct authority is (Rupr.) Maxim.