Good Intentions Gone Bad

Yesterday, spouse and I took an exercise walk on our local Rail Trail (a walking trail that was railroad tracks years ago, when we still had rail service in our area).

So many sweetly smelling flowers are out right now - but there's a catch.

First, though, the flowers.

There are a number of honeysuckles blooming along the trail.  I know that some are native and some are imported invasives.  As there is so much of these, I suspect these are both invasives.  Here, pink.  I am wondering if this is something called showy fly honeysuckle, or Bell's honeysuckle, which is actually a hybrid.

Here, yellow and white.  I believe this is invasive Japanese honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica

These are definitely an invasive - Russian olive (and no, they don't produce olives) or Elaeagnus angustifolia.  My spouse loves their scent.  I don't.

Here's a closeup of the flower of the Russian olive.

These are fast growing shrubs that were introduced in the early 1900's as windbreaks and were valued as they would tolerate salt along highways.  However, besides choking out less rapidly growing native plants, they will use so much water they will use water other plants need.

Sometimes, what makes non native plants initially valued is what ends up allowing the plant to cause such damage.  In other words, good intentions gone bad.

Do you have any invasive plants or animals/insects that you battle where you live?