I'm not familiar with the term creeping honeysuckle. Do you know the species name?

There is such a creature :-) What I know as "creeping honeysuckle" is Lonicera crassifolia, a very handsome and well-behaved evergreen groundcover. But I doubt this is the plant the OP is referring to as there would not be any 'battle' involved - it is extremely well-mannered - and it is not at all a common plant.

I suspect the subject might be one of the invasive species........?

Sorry to take so long to come back with a photo. Here it is, along with one of a spirea I had to cut back to get in and evict this creeping and climbing vine. Please advise re suitable groundcovers and also on my pruning! I was going to go back and lop the oldest canes at the base. I have already reduced these by half though so maybe I should stop here?

If my plant app is correct this is lonicera poly…. which is described by Missouri Botanical Garden aa fairly benign but it really is hard to keep from strangling shrubs here. I also dont recall ever seeing the old fashioned flower on it that I do see on the shrub honeysuckle, which I also have.

There are various possibilities for a "replacement" groundcover but picking what might work best would depend on the amount of sun/shade the area receives as well as soil moisture or ability to irrigate. And because of their often aggressively spreading habit and proximity to natural areas, an assessment of local invasive potential.

Some suggestions that might be worth considering: kinnikinnick/bearberry, ajuga, pachysandra, cotoneaster, Vinca minor, wintercreeper, bigroot geranium, liriope, sweet woodruff.

Out of curiosity, can you elaborate on the species of honeysuckle you think you have? I can't find that species listed anywhere, even by MOBOT.

https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=14104 is what cones up for me. The area is pretty dry as its a slope.

Lonicera periclymenum is our native honey suckle but I'm not sure that's what you have. Isn't it more likely to be L japonica? I believe that's much more widely invasive in the US. What do you think GG? Correct me if I'm wrong.

To the best of my knowledge, L periclymenum is not considered invasive anywhere in North America. In fact, it is one of the few species of honeysuckle I use routinely in my design work, primarily due to its prolific flowering, good behavior and strong fragrance.

The OP's photos do not look like the periclymenum I am used to but then December is not a great time to ID deciduous vines.

It strikes me as highly unlikely that L. periclymenum would self-seed or otherwise just appear in a central NY garden. I don't think that's what we are seeing here.

it sounds like L. japonica is what I have and L. periclymenum is what I should try replacing it with. Why is it so rare in the US? Is there a difference between the groundcover and the climber? I already have several (native cultivar) honeysuckle vines I planted on fences. Would they work as groundcovers?

" Why is it so rare in the US? "

I have not found it to be rare at all!! In fact, periclymenum is the most frequently sold species of honeysuckle in my area, with several popular and very colorful cultivars typically available - 'Peaches and Cream', 'Scentsation', 'Serotina' and 'Graham Thomas'. But it is not naturally a groundcover - very definitely a vining plant and one that grows to good size as well.

If you are having issues with your current honeysuckle growing into and choking other plants, you would not want to replace with this - it will do exactly the same thing. The only creeping honeysuckle that would work well as a groundcover is the L. crassilfolia mentioned previously.

Any of the vining Loniceras will want to climb your shrubs. That's their nature and the reason they won't work as ground covers. They might grovel along the ground for a while but they need to go up to light to flower and will do so at the first opportunity. Depending on your required height, some of the nitida and pileata cultivars can be used this way but I have no idea if they will grow in your climate. Personally, I'd forget Loniceras and find something else.

P.s. Kitasei's link shows where L. periclymenum is considered invasive.

" P.s. Kitasei's link shows where L. periclymenum is considered invasive. "

Floral, look more closely at that link. The map only shows where the plant has been reported or perhaps even naturalized but it is not indicated as "invasive" anywhere: '"This species does not appear on any state or national invasive species lists. "

FWIW, L. pileata or nitida can be used as a groundcover in an area that would suit only a single plant species. Otherwise, both grow much too large/tall to be useful as a "groundcover" amongst other perennials or shrubs. Pileata is especially helpful for slope stabilization.