honeysuckle – Critters and Craft

Once again the Japanese honeysuckle has exploded. The metal arbor that holds it is completely engulfed and the scent can bowl you over on a warm morning.

Photo description: Japanese Honeysuckle in bloom, about 10 feet tall

I do plan (again) to harvest the vines in the fall, but now I have a secret weapon: a stem stripper. This small metal tool is marketed for stripping thorns from rose stems, but works awesome on removing leaves from honeysuckle as well. It makes prepping the vines much faster.

Photo description: metal stem stripper tool with a stripped honeysuckle vine and one with the leaves still attached

I did take stereoscopic images and put them together. There is depth, but it lacks diversity. It is a great huge mound of honeysuckle, after all.

Photo description: stereoscopic parallel view of Japanese honeysuckle mound

Photo description: Japanese Honeysuckle mound with yellow and white blooms growing about 8 foot high

Once again I lament that I can’t provide you with smell-o-vision with the Spring honeysuckle blooms. Although, you might not be happy with me if I did assault your senses with this; it is more like being kicked in the nose than a gentle waft of perfume. The smell in Spring is nearly overpowering and very sweet. It smells great from the road, but going out the front door gets you an olfactory ambush.

Currently the Japanese Honeysuckle is the only visible plant in the mound (there is a metal arbor under there somewhere). There was, and may still be, some native honeysuckle lurking in the shadows that has yet to bloom. The native on the corner of our fence did not fair well and has not come back after the heat of last summer and the freezes of winter. Japanese Honeysuckle is considered invasive and grows very, very well here. It was planted on the property before our purchase, and does have medicinal and craft use, so it is allowed to stay. I do need to rein it in though.