Lonicera, Bush Honeysuckle, Tatarian Honeysuckle 'Rosea'

Dirr calls this "essentially an outmoded plant...the Edsel of deciduous shrubs" and "a terrible weed."

Who would want to g...Read Morerow a bush honeysuckle without fragrant flowers? The flowers of this species are small and have no fragrance. Most descriptions exaggerate their ornamental value. If you want a highly fragrant bush honeysuckle, get L. fragrantissima.

This is a sprawling, straggly, rampant growing bush that quickly fills with dead wood. It requires a great deal of heavy pruning to keep it looking respectable, even if it escapes the Russian aphid.

The gang-of-four Asian shrub honeysuckles that are widely invasive in North America (L. maackii, L. tatarica, L. x bella, and L. morrowii) are dowdy shrubs without fragrance. They come with a host of pests and diseases, foremost of which is the Russian aphid that causes disfiguring witches' broom.

Planting of this noxious weed species is prohibited in four states. Birds spread the seeds wide into natural areas. Together with the other invasive honeysuckles and buckthorn, it destroys natural habitat and shades out our native woodland wildflowers. It impoverishes our once rich native flora and reduces its capacity to support wildlife.

Considered aggressively invasive in Massachusetts, prohibited from sale. Too bad, it's pretty at our new (to us) house but will take it down.