100 Days of Honeysuckle

From Louise Thompson, to the Courier Times:

"New Castle, IN -- After 100 straight days of dedication - through snow, rain, extreme cold, and even heat - Henry County Indiana Removes Invasive Plant Species (HC-RIPS) is celebrating the 100th Day of Honeysuckle on Friday, April 10th, 2026, and the community is invited to join.

Since January 1, volunteers have worked every day from 2:00–4:00 PM removing invasive bush honeysuckle and restoring natural habitats across Henry County. This milestone marks the impact of a committed group working to improve local parks and natural areas."

100th Day Celebration Details:

Friday, April 10, 2026
Expo Woods, Memorial Park (260 W County Rd 100 N, New Castle) Parking is available at the McGrady Shelterhouse

2:00 PM – Honeysuckle cutting begins
3:30 PM – Wildflower walk to “The Last Honeysuckle”
4:00 PM – The final honeysuckle falls! 🎉
Light refreshments will be served

“This effort shows what a committed community can accomplish,” said Dr. Helen Steussy, HC-RIPS organizer. “We hope everyone will come celebrate—and maybe even help take down the last honeysuckle!”

Thursday, January 1 will start our 6th Annual 100 Days of Honeysuckle!
We work every day, no matter the weather from 2:00-4:00.
WWFWA is Wilbur Wright Fish and Wildlife Area
Wild Wednesdays we pop up in a different location every week.

Henry County Removes Invasive Plant Species

HC-RIPS strives for a Henry County free of invasive plants and full of native plants that support birds, bees and butterflies….as well as people!

We are working to make the landscape of Henry County healthier by removing invasive plants. We work 100 days in a row from Jan to Apr.

We need your help!

Monthly meetings: Second Monday of every month - 6:pm - on Zoom.
Vounteers work mostly at local parks. They help to cut, spray, and remove invasive plants.
Contact hsteussy@comcast.net or 765-524-1706.

Common Invasives

Bush Honeysuckle

Description

Shrub growing about 6 feet tall in forests. Leaves are opposite. White flowers in May/June. Red berries in fall. Hollow stems.

Fills woodlands and smothers all plant life beneath its branches. Berries non-nutritious for birds. Branches allow predators to get bird's eggs.

Treatment

Cut low to the base and treat with 20% glyphosate. Make sure not to cut if you aren't sure; and always be careful with tools and chemicals.

Autumn Olive

Description

Tall shrub gets up to 20 feet tall with smooth gray bark. Alternate leaves have a silver undersides and wavy edges.

Very aggressive. Grows into impenetrable thickets and chokes out all native vegetation.

Treatment

Cut low to the base and treat with 20% glyphosate. Pay special attention to all of the sprouts. Make sure not to cut if you aren't sure; and always be careful with tools and chemicals.

Garlic Mustard

Description

Grows on forest floor up to 4 feet tall with triangular, sharp-toothed leaves and small white flowers in a cluster at the top of the stem.

Displaces wildflowers, completely takes over areas, poisons the soil, inhibits tree and plant growth, kills native butterflies.

Treatment

Pull before it seeds and collect in trash bags. GM can seed even after pulled. Make sure to tamp down the disturbed soil after pulling.

Can be used to make Pesto.

Wintercreeper

Identification:

Wintercreeper (Euonymus fortunei) is a perennial

evergreen vine. It was first introduced into the

United States from China in 1907 as an ornamental

ground cover plant. Nurseries still commonly

sell it. Wintercreeper can spread from plantings

into natural areas and relatively undisturbed

woodlands and forests.

Control:

In areas that have only a small amount of wintercreeper,

pull up individual vines by the roots and remove.

Mature stands of wintercreeper can be very difficult

to control. In areas of heavy infestation, cut vines

by hand and spray each cut stem with 25 percent

glyphosate or triclopyr solution. Cut stump treatment is

best applied after the last killing frost and prior to spring

wildflower emergence to prevent harm to non-target

species. Cutting without the application of herbicides

is generally not recommended because this will lead to

root sprouting.

Source: mdc.mo.gov

White Mulberry

Source: extension.umd.edu

Identification: White mulberry (Morus alba) is a fast-growing and short-lived tree that can grow up to 50 feet high, with a narrow trunk of less than 2 feet in diameter and a wide spreading crown.

Its greatest threat as an invasive lies in its threat to native red mulberries (Morus rubra). The white mulberry appears to be outcompeting and replacing the native species.

Identification can be tricky. White mulberry leaves are glossy on top, and can be toothed, lobed, or unlobed. However, red mulberry leaves are larger, less shiny, and hairy on the underside. Perhaps the best indicator is the growing location. If the tree is in a high-quality soil environment or inside a woodland, it’s likely a native red. If it’s growing on a forest margin or a disturbed area, it’s a white.

Control: If possible, pull white mulberry seedlings as soon as they are detected. More mature trees can be cut down during the growing season, followed by an immediate herbicide application to the stump to destroy the root system. Foliar spraying can be effective as long as non-target species are not impacted.

Poison Hemlock

Identification: Also known as deadly hemlock or poison parsley, poison hemlock (Conium maculatum L.) is a highly toxic herbaceous biennial (sometimes short-lived perennial) plant that easily invades disturbed or early successional sites and is typically found in moist areas along roads, streams, trails, ditches, forest edges and waste areas. This plant can be noticed very early in the spring every year, as it is typically one of the first to green up, usually in late February to early March if temperatures are favorable.

Control: The most effective control may be mowing to prevent seed production, followed with herbicide applications to rosettes and resprouts as outlined in the “Chemical” section below.

WARNING: All parts of this plant are poisonous to both animals and humans. Use caution when managing this plant.

Oriental Bittersweet

Identification: Oriental bittersweet, which is spreading rapidly in the northeastern and midwestern United States,4 chokes out and kills any other vegetation in several different ways. The vines completely overgrow other plants, so they won’t get any sunlight, air, or water.

Control: Small vines can be pulled by hand. Make sure to remove the entire root because bittersweet can regrow from root segments. Dispose of the vines in the garbage, or leave them on a manmade surface such as a driveway, tarp, or deck in full sun for a day or two to kill the roots.

If the vine is larger, and already entangled with the tree, cut the stem at the base and immediately brush the cut with glyphosate concentrate. Note that to be effective, this must be done during the growing season. Then carefully pull the vines out of the tree.

Source: thespruce.com

Multiflora Rose

Source: sicim.info

DENTIFICATION & BIOLOGY: Stems: Stems are green to red arching canes which are round in cross section and have stiff, curved thorns. Leaves: Leaves are pinnately compound with 7-9 leaflets. Leaflets are oblong, 1-1.5 inches long and have serrated edges. The fringed petioles distinguish it from most other native rose species. Flowers: Small, fragrant, white to pinkish, 5-petaled flowers occur abundantly in clusters on the plant in the spring. Fruits: Fruit are small, red rose hips that remain on the plant throughout the winter. Seeds are dispersed by birds and other wildlife that eat the fruits.

CONTROL: Like other invasive species, a combination of control tactics is necessary to manage multiflora rose. The most effective control is to prevent it from becoming established. Plants should be removed as soon as possible when they are found. Small plants and seedlings can be hand-pulled with protective gloves, especially when the soil is moist. However, root fragments left in the soil may resprout. Mechanical and chemical methods are currently the most widely used methods for managing multiflora rose. Application of systemic herbicides (e.g., glyphosate) on freshly cut stumps or to regrowth may be the most effective methods, especially if conducted late in the growing season. Foliar application of herbicide can also be effective, but care must be taken if there are desirable species in the area. Cutting without the use of herbicide can limit the spread but will not eradicate it. In this case, stems should be cut at least once per growing season as close to ground level as possible.

Burning Bush

Source: brandywine.org

DENTIFICATION & BIOLOGY:

Euonymus alatus is commonly known as burning bush because of its almost neon-red fall color. While this quality—combined with its low maintenance—has made the shrub an ornamental staple in suburban landscaping, it has also become far too common in the woodlands of the eastern United States, where it is recognized as an invasive species in 21 states.

Burning bush prodigiously reproduces by seed which are dispersed by birds to nearby woodland and meadows. Once established, these plants will form a dense thicket capable of outcompeting almost any native plant.

CONTROL: Young plants in loose soil can be easily pulled by hand. Any seeds should be disposed of in a way that will prevent them from escaping into the wild.

For larger plants, foliar herbicide application during the fall is the most effective method—fall is also a great time to identify the bright red shrubs in a forest understory and remove them by cutting. After cutting the main stem, a treatment of glyphosate or triclopyr can be applied directly to the cut stump with a spray bottle or sponge to kill the root system. Alternatively, returning to cut or mow any resprouted stems will also suppress regrowth.

Events

100 Days of Honeysuckle - January through March every year, (2:00 pm - 4:00 pm every day) across various locations. Check Facebook or contact for our schedule!

Weedwrangles - Held every year throughout spring. Contact us if you want to help!

Wildflower Walks - One of our experts guides a group through the native plants and flowers on a tour through local parks and properties.

Times/Locations for wildflower walks are announced on our Facebook.

Prairie Walks - A tour of The Land's many prairies. Call to schedule in August.

Gallery

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an "Indiana Clean Community"

100 Days of Honeysuckle

Henry County Removes Invasive Plant Species

Monthly meetings: Second Monday of every month - 6:pm - on Zoom.

Vounteers work mostly at local parks. They help to cut, spray, and remove invasive plants.

Contact hsteussy@comcast.net or 765-524-1706.

Common Invasives

Events

Links

SICIM: State of Indiana Cooperatives Invasives Management (many resources to manage and learn about invasive plants)

SICIM: Indiana General Chemical Control Recommendations (details on how to treat invasives)
https://www.sicim.info/invasive-plant-of-the-month

Link to Facebook HC-RIPS Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/rippytheredfox

Good article on invasive strategy:
https://nifa.wildapricot.org/Prioritizing-Invasive-Control/

Gallery

Before

After

Henry County Healthy Communities

an "Indiana Clean Community"

100 Days of Honeysuckle

Henry County Removes Invasive Plant Species

Monthly meetings: Second Monday of every month - 6:pm - on Zoom.

Vounteers work mostly at local parks. They help to cut, spray, and remove invasive plants.

Contact hsteussy@comcast.net or 765-524-1706.

Common Invasives

Events

Links

SICIM: State of Indiana Cooperatives Invasives Management (many resources to manage and learn about invasive plants)

SICIM: Indiana General Chemical Control Recommendations (details on how to treat invasives) https://www.sicim.info/invasive-plant-of-the-month

Link to Facebook HC-RIPS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/rippytheredfox

Good article on invasive strategy: https://nifa.wildapricot.org/Prioritizing-Invasive-Control/

Gallery

Before

After

Henry County Healthy Communities

SICIM: Indiana General Chemical Control Recommendations (details on how to treat invasives)
https://www.sicim.info/invasive-plant-of-the-month

Link to Facebook HC-RIPS Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/rippytheredfox

Good article on invasive strategy:
https://nifa.wildapricot.org/Prioritizing-Invasive-Control/