I was strolling through a Lowe’s Home Improvement store this morning and froze in my tracks when I saw this. I was going to call the police but I am not sure it is illegal or not here in Raleigh, North Carolina?
I was like: “You have got to be kidding?”. I fight this plant every season creeping over from my messy and weedy neighbor’s property that is covered in English Ivy, poison ivy, and honeysuckle. My neighbor’s trees are covered. I have to spend hours cutting it off my fence all Summer long.
I am close to organizing a protest at Lowe’s! I am still in shock that their buyers don’t know what they are purchasing!
I am going to have to write a letter!
***
Arthur in the Garden! 
That’s how I used to feel when I’d see fennel, after battling a backyard full of it for 10+ years… 😀
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Go for the letter & see what you get!
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At least you can eat fennel, but I am not even sure a goat would eat Japanese Honeysuckle? Than again, they will eat even cement!
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You don’t want to eat fennel when the only thing growing in your yard is fennel, & all you smell when you open your windows is fennel, & year after year you dig up taproots that seem to go down to the center of the earth….
Thankfully that is no longer my yard!
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Shameful! I wonder if you talked to the manager if it would make any difference. Is there a native plant society or conservation group that might be interested?
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You should get the scientific name off the tag because there are many plants that could have the common name of “Japanese Honeysuckle.” Once you have that information you can see if your local extension service has it listed as invasive on their website.
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Around here they also sell Barberry, Norway Maples, Eunoymous, and other pests. Eunoymous is even sold by nurseries that really know better…but it sells… There is something deeply defeating about spending the day destroying barberry and then walking into the store to see a person from the town buying the stuff. We spend millions each year in this country (and for Land Trusts many, many volunteer hours) getting rid of invasives….we also spend millions Buying them!
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I’ve seen this stuff at the Home Depot in Alabama, so it’s everywhere. I had no idea it was hard to kill, usually ordinary honeysuckle is easy to rip out, but I’ll take your word for it.
Another thing NOT to buy is Asian Ivy. Nightmare!!!
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This really brings home that a plant that is perfectly harmless, sort after even in one place can be a real thug in another. In Europe honeysuckle as in your image is a very popular plant giving an amazing perfume. It all comes down to right plant right place and go for natives when you can (that’s not to say a lot of natives aren’t weed like but they should have natural pests etc that keep them in check. At my local seed merchant I saw a packet of dandelion seeds FOR SALE! Christina
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That is outrageous. Did you look to see if Japanese honeysuckle is on the NC banned plants list. I think you should check there first becaue I doubt Lowes itself will give you any satisfaction. This is one of the many reasons that gardeners should not patronize big box stores no matter how cheap the plants are. Local nurseries would never do this’d and need everyone’s support.
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I’ve had friends tell me that a butterfly bush is a weed as well as Forsyintha. But that’s just because they don’t like them. I don’t know much about invasives – I am one of those who ‘trusts’ the folks I buy plants from. And I have and enjoy both of those plants in my yard.
In a slightly different vain, I heard an ad for something that I thought was no longer politcally correct. And I called to complain – not that I would have bought what they were selling. I only spoke to the person who answered the phone. Explained I wasn’t trying to tell them how to do their business, but the ad was insulting. Perhaps I wasn’t the only one because I never did hear that ad again. At least you know what you are talking about and maybe with the right information you can help to stop the sale of that invasive plant.
I don’t know what kind of honeysuckle it was but I remember one of my grandparents had a plant by a backyard fence. And it was heady with perfum – as a child we played with the flowers. But that was over 50 years ago.
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Exactly. Butterfly is considered invasive and aggressive in locals. It all depends on location. But Japanese Honeysuckle is know to be aggressive everywhere. So Lowe’s buyers should know better.
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You never know what you will find at Lowe’s. Some plants aren’t invasive everywhere, but I would think this plant would be everywhere.
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This is totally irresponsible! Write that letter!!!
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I actually emailed the State Agriculture Department. They said it is not illegal to grow or sale Japanese Honeysuckle. If it was on the list of illegal and prohibited plants like Purple loosestrife then they could take action. Oh well. Next step I guess is to try to get it, among other plants, added to the prohibited list.
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It is a big pest plant here in Michigan as well!….The birds do a great job of spreading it around and it fills up the woods and prevents the native plants from growing, I have spent hours and hours digging it out of gardens …It is really irresponsible of lowes to sell it…and the nursery to grow it!
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They need responsible buyers but also who ever is growing these are not too educated either!
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so true!
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Thanks!
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Next, they will be selling kudzu!
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Actually, I have seen a variegated kudzu for sale! It is suppose to be slower growing then the wild type!
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Noooooooooo!
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Ha ha ha, Its name is General Sherman, as in the General Sherman who marched across The South during the US Civil War and covered everything!
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I usually love clever plant names but that one’s just not funny.
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Honeysuckle is commonly used as ground cover in public locations in California. I’m going to plant it to cover an ugly chain link fence. I am the property owner and “I” am responsible to maintain my property. If your neighbor is negligent to maintain their property and its causing health and safety issues, contact your city / county code enforcement. Advocate laws holding people accountable for their responsibily as a property owner instead of what people chose to plant.
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I am trying to rid my flowerbeds and yard of cocculus carolinus ortherwise known as snailseed vine. Anyone have any suggestions?
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Constant pulling the vines until the roots starve!
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Yes, write that letter very soon, Arthur. Is it the one that also gives off a lot of spores/seeds?
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True!
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