[15] Japanese honeysuckle has become naturalized in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, and much of the United States, including Hawaii, as well as a number of Pacific and Caribbean islands.

It is classified as a noxious weed in 46 states, Prohibited to be bought and sold in Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Vermont, and banned in Indiana and New Hampshire.

It will generally only invade forests when the canopy has been opened by logging or fallen trees, as it grows less vigorously in the shade.

[20] Once it has invaded an area, Lonicera japonica grows rapidly and outcompetes native plants for sunlight and nutrients.

[5] It proliferates using both sexual and vegetative reproduction, producing seeds that are spread by animals and expanding locally via rhizomes.

[5] Larger patches can be removed through repeated mowing, but application of herbicide is also recommended to prevent regrowth.

[21] There has been some study of using controlled burns to remove L. japonica, but the underground portion of the plant is usually able to survive and resprout, limiting the effectiveness of this method.

[22] The EPA of New Zealand approved the release of Limenitis glorifica butterflies in 2013 as a biological control for Lonicera japonica.

[24] Even though it is a highly invasive and destructive plant,[25] this species is often sold by American nurseries as the cultivar 'Hall's Prolific' (Lonicera japonica var.