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Alternative to Honeysuckle

H

HybridCam

New Member
First things first; I hate honeysuckle. I have been waging campaign of annihilation against the stuff. However, I've come to the realization I only own a very small piece of Iowa, and I'm not going to single-handedly rid Linn County of the stuff.

This leaves me at a crossroads. I have a neighbor to my west that I would like to screen out. The boarder we share is heavily over grown with maple, a TSI project in itself for the coming months, as there is essentially no light getting through the canopy.

This brings about my question; is there an native or more beneficial species that would provide me similar shade tolerance, screening, and speed of establishment that honeysuckle would? I know that if I do this I will have to keep the honeysuckle under control on a regular basis, but do I have a better option?
 
It depends on how much sun, but chokecherry and plum may grow, but they need some sunlight.
 
Honeysuckle isn't so bad, deer like it! They hit it this time of year from my observations. I personally like Hemlock, grows in shade and be trimmed to thicken up for privacy, deer will browse on it though during really cold weather.
 
Currently too shady for plum, I tried a few starts from the DNR. My serviceberry looks to be ok. I'm sure opening up the crown of the timberstand will be exceeding helpful. I think I'll be needing to sell some maple firewood next fall so if anybody needs a truck load....

The deer really like the honeysuckle around us, and for the application I think it might be what I use, because I already have it no need to buy anything, and I know it will grow fast and dense. I'll have to look into eastern hemlock also, as I'd like some evergreen hedging, but full to partial shade is the nature of most of where I need that hedging.
 
I've noticed hawthorn growing well in some pretty dense stands. One stand in particular is riverine timber and has been pastured in the past. Some big old oaks, silver maple and lots of elm, hackberry and locust. Lots of hawthorn in there and the bucks love rubbing on it.

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That was an option I had not considered, and not hat you mention I know we have a hawthorn growing in some deep shade in a grove of walnuts. I'll have to go see if I can find some fruit still on it to bury where I want my hedge.
 
Latin Name: Cornus sericea
Common Name: Redosier dogwood
Description: Hardy, fast-growing shrub; up to 9' tall; stem color is red which makes the shrub very attractive in the winter; does best in moist soil (often seen along swamp edges) but quite adaptable to other conditions; white flowers not particularly showy; also has white fruit.

Should try a few of these...
 
Jbohn, I have about 20 of the redosier planted around in various places, they have done great where they get lots of sun and water, where it's drier and with partial shade they are maybe 1/6 the size. They are alive, but not nearly the growth as in sun. The property line I'm looking to do runs basically north/south with with lots of trees on both sides, so I need something that prefers mostly shade, even knowing that I'm going to need to heavily feather the property line and thin to the east. I started clearing to the east, but lots more trees to come down. I meant to take pictures, but I didn't take my phone and I didn't put a card in my camera before I walking out.
 
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