And I should mention: when I Google "burn honeysuckle," I find that a group called the Gourds has a song:

I was born in the summer with black gum on my heels
Full grown and cussin and bleach on my wheels
Killed me a panther before I was even grown
With a pocket knife and a guitar string and a live honey comb

They gonna burn the honeysuckle when I die

Married me a girl raised on mustard greens and bears
Chimney brown and lanky smoke all in her hair
Bore me seven babies in ten years time
With skin like tobacco and eyes like wine

They gonna burn the honeysuckle when I die

When IÂm dead and gone and the sun donÂt shine
Build a fire where the grass is gone and burn that vine
Put me down there with the rest
In the muddy ground, get me blessed
I donÂt wanna go, I must confess
Put me down there with the rest

I love the sound of the rain rolling through the trees
Plate of bacon and a banjo on my knee
Love to see the lightning crackin in the spring
When the moon goes down in the morning I smoke and I sing

They gonna burn the honeysuckle when I die

In my zone, dormant honeysuckle is rooted by pushing pieces of branches in the ground in the winter. They put out new roots within a few months and create a brand new plant. SO, considering that, I would never compost or use it for mulch. No idea about burning it.

Nice song, I hadn't heard that one before.

I'm with Token on this. I got some wood chips for mulch a few years ago and there were chips of willow in it. Like honeysuckle, they root easily from bits and pieces. I was pulling willow for months....

I can see why bush honeysuckles are on Ohio's most 10 UNwanted list: invasive species. While driving home from class today, I really looked at all the underbrush that is leafing out in overgrown lots. It's about 98% honeysuckle. I just never paid attention before.

If you are allowed to burn in your area, I'd burn the honeysuckle.

Kris...here in NC, the honeysuckle is growing amongst the privet.

Sorry to hear that, Token.... yikes!

NO and NO!

Don't compost or mulch with the chipped branches! They will root like you wouldn't believe.

And be super super careful if you burn them - especially this time of year. They are rich in oils and burn like candle wicks - a MAJOR cause of springtime wildfires around here.

If you know anyone with goats - give it to them. They'll love it. And if your zone 5/6 border is in Southeast Ohio drop me an e-mail and I might know 8 goats that would like it. :)

Seriously, find someone with livestock and offer it to them. There was a fire several years ago that swept the 20 acres behind us - lighting up dormant honeysuckle and then jumping 10 - 50 feet to ignite one patch after another. I've never seen fire move so fast. I'd hate to think of what it would do in a wood burner.

One of the reasons we keep goats is to keep the area around our house clear of honeysuckle. They clear it right out and leave a nice firebreak behind. If you have a local freecycle and listed it somebody would probably come get it for goat snacks.

Lynda

Here's a photo of what a honeysuckle fire looks like.

Lynda

Here is a link that might be useful: Link to photo and newstory

Holy cow!! I had no idea honeysuckle was that flammable! Thanks for warning us, Lynda.

Holy cow! I'm so glad to get all your feedback. If the hardware store had been open later than 4 pm on Sunday, we would have rented their chipper and all that honeysuckle would be in my beautiful beds. Thank you for saving what little is left of my sanity!!

As for burning it, wow, I didn't know that either. You guys are a regular fount of knowledge.

We do have someone across the street and over two properties who has a largish herd of goats. Maybe I'll get brave and pull into their driveway this weekend. Think the goats will eat it as long as it's green?

Deb

I live in SW Ohio, so I don't think I can haul my honeysuckle over to you. I envy the gorgeous part of the state you live in, though.

Dr_deb - if you had to drive past neighbor goats to bring it here they'd all be mad at you when you get home!

I bet the goat owners would love to have you stop by and ask if they can use it. Their big concerns will probably be to make sure there's no chance of rhododendron in it, no poisonous garden waste like lantana and such, and no chemical sprays on it. Goat people seem to generally be very nice and mellow people - possibly because goats are so funny.

The goats will enjoy the honeysuckle it even if it isn't green, but green looks so much nicer when bringing them gifts. Check with the owner to see if there are any other prunings that they might appreciate. We have a neighbor who's helping a church clean up a bunch of damaged pine trees from the ice storms this year and he'll be bringing us all of the boughs. The goats and cow will eat all of the green, all of the twigs and smaller branches and then de-bark the rest - and we'll chip that.

I hope it works out for you. You could make some goats very happy.

Lynda

Thanks, Lynda! I'll stop by the goats' house on Saturday --- I bet the branches will still be green then. It will be good to make some goats happy with the honeysuckle after all the worm murder I did digging it up.

We live in former cornfield / cow pasture, so we have a whole bunch of nothin' on our 6 acres... so no other trimmings to speak of. I am trying to see all that emptiness as opportunity, but it can be intimidating sometimes to think of trying to make all that space interesting.

Deb

No honeysuckle in the compost -- NOW you tell me?
LOL.