Honeysuckle Runners Taking Over? Here's Why — And How to Contain Them

Your bush honeysuckle sends runners 4 feet out. Honeybush honeysuckle does the same. You're pulling them endlessly. Can you spray? No — herbicide will kill the mother plant. Here's the reality of honeysuckle's running habit.

Why Honeysuckle Runs

It's a suckering shrub. Underground stems (rhizomes) pop up new shoots — sometimes 10+ feet away. It's how the plant colonizes. You can't "turn it off."

What Doesn't Work

• Systemic herbicide — travels to roots, kills whole plant.
• Contact herbicide — tops die, roots resprout next year.
• Ignoring it — it will swallow nearby plants, smother trees.

What Does Work: Persistent Mechanical Control

1. Mow runners in lawn — weekly during growing season.
2. Dig/pull in beds — get as much rhizome as possible.
3. Install root barrier — 18-inch deep HDPE plastic around planting area.
4. Dig out entire root system — if runners are in open ground, this weakens the colony long-term.

The Other "Con": Twining Strangulation

Honeysuckle vines wrap around stems of nearby shrubs/trees. Left unchecked, they girdle and kill them. Prune annually: thin entwined stems, remove runners immediately.

Is It Worth It?

Only you can decide. The fragrance on summer evenings is legendary. But the maintenance is lifelong. If you keep it: root barrier + scheduled mowing/digging = containment. If not: dig it out completely, monitor for resprouts 2+ years.

No spray solution exists. You manage the runner — or it manages you.