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Growing Honeysuckle w/ Bamboo?

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 3:55 am
by Chris_EST
Currently I have Yellow Grove Bamboo growing along with my fence line, which is doing awesome. I want to plant Japanese Honeysuckle and have it vine up the bamboo. I realize both plants are invasive and was wondering if this would be possible or do you think they would kill each other?

Re: Growing Honeysuckle w/ Bamboo?

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 4:01 pm
by needmore
I've seen bamboo in quite the tangled mess several times so I think that you could certainly do this but the bamboo will not be happy but will likely live but not thrive.

Re: Growing Honeysuckle w/ Bamboo?

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 7:07 pm
by Alan_L
I have a strip of "common ground" behind my property that divides me from the houses behind. This originally was a steep grassy slope, but when I moved in in 1991 there was a small row of bush honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) that were either planted or grew wild (Missouri has a huge problem with bush honeysuckle taking over its woodlands). Over the years these grew HUGE (15-20' tall, widely arching), and even though I removed most of the ones adjacent to my property half of the row is still there.

This area also has Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle vine), as well as wild grapevine. Basically, it's a tangle where everything is fighting it out.

Probably 10 years ago I planted a Phyllostacys arcana back there -- I didn't have room for it at the time, it was outgrowing its pot, and I didn't want to just compost it.

I won't say the arcana is thriving, but it's spreading and is producing 1" culms. It's probably growing at 1/2 speed or a little less of what it would be doing if planted out in the open with no competition. I can't say for certain that the grapes or honeysuckle vines are growing on the bamboo though.

Not sure what climate you're in, but I'd recommend either annual vines or something that dies back (like Passiflora incarnata). If you use a vine that stays alive (and resprouts from the vine) you'll eventually have bamboo that is pulled flat.