Most species grown in Iowa are species introduced from east and central Asia. Vine species with fruits all along the stems are generally introduced and those with flowers or fruit only at the stem tips are native. Both have become naturalized in our woodlands, often forming thickets that exclude native species. Of the two, the Tatarian honeysuckle is more susceptible to honeysuckle witches broom aphid. First detected in Scott county in 1981, this aphid feeds on the leaves, injecting a toxin that causes a proliferation of small side shoots at the branch ends called a witches broom.
Affected leaves fold around the insect, making infestations difficult to control.
Damage is mostly aesthetic, and control includes foliar systemmic insecticides and pruning of the affected branches. Powdery mildew and leaf blights attack the lower leaves of plants in shaded locations and dense plantings. The juicy fruits of all honeysuckles are relished by birds and the thick growth provides shelter for birds and small mammals. Honeysuckles, depending on the species, may be used in the landscape as slope stabalizers, screening plants, informal hedges or as border specimens.