A Missouri homeowner turned to the r/NativePlantGardening community for advice in hopes of avoiding misery over a plant they transplanted from their parents' yard.
"Last fall I dug up what I thought was a sprout of native Beautyberry underneath my parents' BB bush. I transplanted it in my Missouri garden but as it grows, I'm afraid it's looking more like invasive honeysuckle. Can you help me? If it is honeysuckle I want to rip that sucker out ASAP. I'm getting such conflicting info on the plant apps, maybe because it's a young plant. Thank you!" the poster wrote.
Beneath the plea was a series of photos showing various views of the plant in question.
The OP was wise to verify whether the plant was an invasive honeysuckle. If it was, they would benefit from digging it up. Invasive plants such as honeysuckle, kudzu, and English ivy, to name a few, wreak havoc on local ecosystems.
Invasive species compete with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space, quickly crowding them out and decreasing diversity within the ecosystem. They also worsen water quality and increase soil erosion, leading to less habitable space for local wildlife.
Native plants, including the beautyberry the OP thought they had transplanted, have the opposite effect. They are adapted to the local environment and thus take little from it while giving a lot back. Their deep roots help reduce soil erosion. They require little to no maintenance, which saves homeowners time and money while keeping toxic pesticides out of the environment.
Native plants also provide food and shelter for the local wildlife, including pollinators whose survival is vital to a healthy food supply. So, tearing out a plant if it is invasive and replacing it with something native benefits everyone.
Fellow Redditors had plenty of advice for the OP.
"That's probably one of the best-looking honeysuckle I've ever seen. Kill it," one said. "... Make sure to get every stem. If you miss one, it will survive."
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Definitely 👍 Another added: "If you plant it in a native area it will take over and out compete the natives. If you kept it isolated and didn't let the seeds get everywhere I bet you could let it grow somewhere for the sentimental value."
"Thanks y'all for your feedback. My parents definitely wouldn't want me to keep an invasive honeysuckle, even for sentimental reasons," the OP responded. "I think I'll just wait a bit and buy what I KNOW is a BB and plant it in their honor."
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