Is Japanese Honeysuckle good deer browse?
Filed under: Habitat Management
Hi Grant
I find much talk about vine honeysuckle as a premier browse choice for deer, yet I have a hard time finding reliable ways to id it. Google searches result in “garden variety”. Can you provide any pics or links for us to id it? Is it something you recommend planting? I have and will burn and or cut areas to open up the forrest floor to sun. If scattering seed is inexpensive and easy to establish, then it seems a great way to go. However, I assume it’s not cheap or easy, which leaves me with wanting to identify native vine honeysuckle and encourage it’s growth/hunt it.
Please provide any help you have with identifying it. The attached photo is a pic of a common plant I see. Is it vine honeysuckle?
Thanks Grant!
Joe
Joe,
There are several varieties of honeysuckle. I believe Japanese Honeysuckle has the widest distribution of any of the honeysuckle varieties. Japanese Honeysuckle is an invasive species. It does way more damage than good. Deer will eat Japanese Honeysuckle but it’s rarely a preferred food source. I’ve never seen deer browsing on honeysuckle when more preferred forage is available. As an illustration, I’d eat some foods when steak isn’t available but wouldn’t even look at them when steak is available.
I don’t recommend trying to plant honeysuckle. There are many native and cultivated forage species that are much better than honeysuckle.
There’s some good information about Japanese Honeysuckle at: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=LOJA
Enjoy creation,
grant
January 12, 2016
