The Bush Hummingbirds Love But You'll Regret Planting In Your Yard

A common flowering shrub is taking over yards and public lands all over the eastern half of the United States, to the delight of hummingbirds and other pollinators, but to the detriment of native plant species. The Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maacki), a type of bush honeysuckle, can grow into a huge, tree-like shrub up to 20 feet tall and produces sweet white flowers that yellow in the fall. After flowering, this large evergreen shrub puts out clumps of bright red berries that songbirds and pollinators love. Hummingbirds are an especially big fan of its nectar, easily accessed through the delicate flowers that perch upright on its branches of deep green leaves. The problem is, this aggressive bush will quickly take over any space it inhabits, crowding out other bushes and flowers important for native wildlife, and is difficult to remove once established. Like the common but non-native butterfly bush which you should think twice about before planting, the Amur honeysuckle isn't a responsible choice for your landscape.

This native of eastern Asia was first brought to the U.S. as a garden ornamental in the late 1800s. Amur honeysuckle is extremely hardy: Tolerant of drought, heat, and cold winters, berry-loving songbirds and other wildlife quickly spread the seeds of this honeysuckle all over the eastern half of the United States. Now it is considered invasive throughout the Midwest and southern United States. In some states — including Connecticut and Massachusetts — it's listed as a noxious weed, meaning it is prohibited from being planted in those areas. The U.S. Forest Service is in a battle with Amur honeysuckle on its lands because it can take over woodlands and eliminate other important native plants. 

On its web site, the Missouri Botanical Garden calls Amur honeysuckle "one of the most destructive invasive species in the St. Louis region," and produced a leaflet describing how to remove it. So even if your hummingbirds are loving this bush, it might be time to consider taking it out and replacing it with alternatives. 

Hummingbirds will still flock to your yard if you have a variety of native bushes and flowers they love, including native honeysuckles (Lonicera sempervirens). These are readily available on the market as trumpet or coral honeysuckle, and grow as vines. These honeysuckles are relatively low-maintenance, produce red trumpet-like flowers, and stay green most of the year. If you prefer a bush-shaped honeysuckle for your landscape, there are two other native honeysuckles — the northern bush honeysuckle (Diervilla lonicera) and southern bush honeysuckle (D. sessilifolia) — that grow as low shrubs. These natives won't take over like the Amur honeysuckle, but still provide delectable flowers and stunning plants that hummingbirds love.