Does anyone know what this is? I've never seen it growing around here but spied it at the edge of the woods as I was walking this morning. It looks to be a reddish vine with oaky looking leaves.


There are 4-5" tall new ones coming up on either side of where this one is. Guessing it might be spreading under the ground or leaf litter like honeysuckle and Carolina jasmine do. If it's something I need to get rid of, now is the time to do it before it spreads any farther!

It's invasive Japanese Honeysuckle.

Labradors wrote: ↑Mon Mar 25, 2024 1:04 pm It's invasive Japanese Honeysuckle.

Hmmm, We have Lonicera japonica all over the place here and this vine looks nothing like it. Do you have a botanical name for your Japanese honeysuckle, as way different plants sometimes share common names.

I'm so sorry! I Googled "vine with oak shaped leaves" and a picture, just like yours popped up and led me to a page. I clicked on "Visit" and it said Japanese Honeysuckle with a note that it's invasive. Being in a bit of a rush, I stupidly didn't read any further or look at the pictures or I would have realized that we have that here in the north and it's not a vine and looks nothing like your picture - sigh!

Here you go. It IS invasive Japanese Honeysuckle!!!! Weird! At least it's nothing poisonous .
https://site.extension.uga.edu/forsyth/ ... your-yard/

Well that explains a lot... I have been growing Japanese Honeysuckle here for many years but never saw any oak leaves... since it's marginally hardy, I'm thinking the oakey look is reserved for "rapid growth" in a hotter climate.
The Lonicera japonica makes an awesome medicine for upper respiratory infections.

@Labradors, that's IT! Thanks so much. Wow, I've been here 38 years and have never seen anything that looks like this. I will have to get busy and deal with it!