Bill Hoss with bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera)
As you can see from the photographs, bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) is thick and gnarly. Those characteristics along with being an aggressive plant are why it takes an army of volunteers to make a dent in the huge invasive population of this plant.
Some St. Louis Wild Ones members are attending events this week during the Honeysuckle Sweep for Healthy Habitat to help make that dent.
Members Marsha Gebhardt, president, Penny Holtzmann, treasurer, and Bill Hoss went to Deer Creek Park in Webster Groves on Saturday, March 5. Penny said she had a fun day doing away with the honeysuckle.
There’s still time to get involved.
For remaining events and to register:
Missouri Botanical Garden (MoBot)
Blog post about Honeysuckle Sweep for Healthy Habitat
About the event from the brochure: “In an effort to energize the greater St. Louis region around improving habitat for our native plants and animals, area conservation organizations join together to spotlight invasive bush honeysuckle and the need to remove it so that large swaths of land can become productive areas for native habitat, recreation and enjoyment. To that end, organizations will host public events and volunteer removal days during the first ever Honeysuckle Sweep Week.”
From left to right: Marsha Gebhardt, Penny Holtzmann, and Bill Hoss
