Arbor Day Event Paints The Target On Honeysuckle

Poor weather over the weekend did not put a damper on Creve Coeur's efforts to educate against what could be public enemy #1 when it comes to non-native vegetation in the city: Honeysuckle.

Residents of all ages learned the importance of planting native vegetation at an Arbor Day Extravaganza Saturday, aimed at informing the public about the long-term effects of honeysuckle and the importance of planting native vegetation.

The event was moved to the community center gymnasium at the after originally being scheduled for Grade school children read their Arbor Day essays, followed by an educational session addressing how to remove invasive plants.

“The idea is to [inform] residents of what it’s done to the landscapes,” said Debby Moseley, a city resident who has been involved with efforts to remove honeysuckle from local parks. You can see in the accompanying photos the impact the plant has had on Malcolm Terrace Park.

Surya Srikumar, a student at , learned about the importance of preserving the landscape while writing his essay for the contest. Srikumar took third place for the kindergarten through first grade age bracket.

He said his favorite part was getting to read his essay. posted an announcement Monday

Creve Coeur Patch readers may recall the problem the city had in 2010, , which had been expanded to include a ban on honeysuckle, was for all intents and purposes, nearly impossible to enforce fairly  because the plant is literally all over the city, including city property.

“[Honeysuckle] grows fast. It’s the first thing to grow in the spring and the last to deteriorate in the fall,” Moseley said. “It starves out everything.”

Some experts had said several months ago that a consensus had been building toward a re-write of the state's invasive plant laws to build a uniform ordinance. Creve Coeur Patch will be checking with city and state officials on the progress of those efforts.