Is bush honeysuckle illegal in Illinois?
No, owning it is not illegal. Under the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act, you may not buy, sell, distribute or plant listed plants without a permit. The permit comes from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). Bush honeysuckle is on that list, along with autumn olive and multiflora rose.
The Act does not make you remove plants already growing on your land. A municipality may pass its own ordinance to eradicate listed exotic weeds inside its boundaries. Bush honeysuckle is not on the state’s noxious weed list either. That separate law does make owners control the weeds it names.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For your own land, check with your local government or an attorney.
What does the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act say?
The Act is 525 ILCS 10, and IDNR runs it. Its current text comes from Public Act 103-620, effective January 1, 2025. You will also see it called the Illinois Exotic Weed Act.
Section 2 defines exotic weeds. They are plants not native to North America that spread on their own once planted. They degrade natural communities, reduce the value of fish and wildlife habitat, or threaten an Illinois endangered or threatened species.
The statute itself names no plants. Under Section 3, IDNR decides which plants are exotic weeds and keeps the list current in its rules.
Section 4(a) is the core rule. Without an IDNR permit, you may not buy, sell, offer for sale, distribute or plant a listed exotic weed. That covers seeds, plants and plant parts. Illinois Extension notes permits are only for research or the distribution of non-viable parts.
Section 5 makes a violation a Class B misdemeanor. For a continuing offense, each day is a separate violation. IDNR agents may also confiscate and destroy exotic weeds offered for sale in violation of the Act.
Illinois Extension notes the Act does not regulate the possession of these plants. It does not require removal of existing plants, and they can keep spreading naturally. Section 4(d) leaves room for local rules. A municipality may adopt an ordinance to eradicate listed exotic weeds on all public and private property within its boundaries.
So under this Act, a honeysuckle thicket on your land is legal to keep. It still spreads, though. An Illinois DNR guideline says a typical bush honeysuckle may produce more than 20,000 seeds a year. At least 20 species of songbirds eat the fruit and are thought to be its main seed carriers.
Our honeysuckle removal work takes those thickets down. The forestry mulching head grinds standing bush honeysuckle into chips where it stands.
Which brush plants are on the Illinois exotic weed list?
Around Cobden, the invasive brush we grind most often is bush honeysuckle, autumn olive and multiflora rose. All three are on IDNR’s list. These are the brush plants on it, as Illinois Extension lists them:
- Bush honeysuckles: Amur (Lonicera maackii), Morrow’s (Lonicera morrowii) and Tatarian (Lonicera tatarica)
- Winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima)
- Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), a vine
- Autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) and Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
- Multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora)
- Common buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) and glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus)
The list also includes kudzu, poison hemlock and teasels. On Oct. 1, 2025, IDNR added nine more invasive plants to the list. Eight took effect right away. They are tree-of-heaven, garlic mustard, leafy spurge, sericea lespedeza, Japanese stiltgrass, Amur corktree, black swallowwort and pale swallowwort.
The ninth is Callery pear. The rule takes effect for Callery pear on Jan. 1, 2028, which gives growers a phase-out period. Until then, the Act’s limits do not apply to it.
On farm ground here, multiflora rose and bush honeysuckle fill in fence rows. When a line has grown shut, fence line clearing opens it back up. You can see the fence again and get to it for repairs.
How is the Illinois Noxious Weed Law different?
The Illinois Noxious Weed Law, 505 ILCS 100, puts a duty on the landowner. Section 3 says every person shall control the spread of and eradicate noxious weeds on land they own or control.
Illinois Extension says the law is administered by the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The law gives county governments the authority and responsibility to control noxious weeds. Under Section 2, the Control Authority is the governing body of each county.
If an owner fails to control listed weeds after notice, the Control Authority can have the work done. The cost is at the owner’s expense. If the bill goes unpaid for 6 months or longer, it becomes a lien on the property.
Section 22 makes a violation a petty offense. The fine is not more than $100 for a first offense. Each later offense carries a fine of not more than $200.
The noxious weed list is a different set of plants. It includes musk thistle, Canada thistle, Johnsongrass, perennial sowthistle and kudzu. Common and giant ragweed count only within the corporate limits of cities, villages and incorporated towns.
Bush honeysuckle, autumn olive and multiflora rose are not on the noxious weed list. Kudzu is on both lists.
How do the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act and Noxious Weed Law compare?
Here are the two laws side by side.
| Question | Illinois Exotic Weeds Act | Illinois Noxious Weed Law |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | 525 ILCS 10 | 505 ILCS 100 |
| Who runs it | Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) | Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture, with each county’s governing body as the Control Authority |
| What it covers | Buying, selling, offering for sale, distributing or planting listed exotic weeds without an IDNR permit | Controlling and eradicating listed noxious weeds on land you own or control |
| Brush and weeds on the list | Bush honeysuckles, Japanese honeysuckle, autumn olive, multiflora rose, buckthorns and kudzu. Callery pear from Jan. 1, 2028 | Musk thistle, Canada thistle, Johnsongrass, perennial sowthistle and kudzu. Ragweeds only inside city, village and town limits |
| Does it make you remove plants? | No. It does not regulate possession or require removal. A municipality may adopt an eradication ordinance for property within its boundaries | Yes. After notice, the county can have the work done at your expense |
| Penalty | Class B misdemeanor, and each day of a continuing offense is a separate violation. Plants offered for sale can be confiscated and destroyed | Petty offense: not more than $100 for a first offense and not more than $200 for each later one. An unpaid bill for the county’s work becomes a lien after 6 months |
What can you do about listed brush on your land?
The Exotic Weeds Act limits buying, selling, distributing and planting listed plants. It does not stop you from clearing them. An Illinois DNR guideline on bush honeysuckle covers thick stands. Where large shrubs grow dense on severely disturbed sites, it says machinery may be the most efficient removal option.
Our tracked skid steer carries a forestry mulching head. It grinds standing brush, vines, saplings and small trees into chips where they stand. Stems are cut to grade level, and the chips stay on the ground as mulch. The ground is usually usable the same day.
Plan for regrowth. The same guideline says cutting stems without herbicide will result in re-sprouting. Cut bush honeysuckle stems usually begin re-sprouting about three weeks after cutting. In one Kentucky study, four years of yearly clipping raised stem density in open-grown shrubs by nearly 275 percent.
The guideline says herbicide applied to the cut stump immediately after cutting gives the best results. It reports late summer, early fall or the dormant season have proven effective. Some re-sprouting may still occur and need a follow-up treatment.
It also warns that machine work can leave a lot of debris on the ground. That can make stumps hard to find and treat. On a small area, resprouts can be treated with herbicide while they are small.
Treating stumps or regrowth is a separate step. You handle it yourself or hire a licensed applicator. Once the thicket is down, new sprouts are easy to see and reach. For published price ranges on the clearing itself, see our honeysuckle removal cost guide.
Need listed brush cleared off your land?
Call or text (618) 697-5190 for a free estimate. Small jobs are welcome. Tell us what has grown up and where.
Blackburn Land Service is based in Cobden. We work across Jackson, Union and Williamson counties, plus nearby parts of Johnson and Saline counties.