I may have answered part of my own question. This is from the New York Times:
"It is interesting to note the speed with which Lonicera has spread. Though there is some debate, William Kerr, a 19th-century collector for Kew Gardens in London, was probably responsible for honeysuckle’s first recorded appearance outside Asia, in 1806. The plant’s emergence in North America began in earnest in 1862, when George Hall, a physician and plant breeder, introduced a popular and vigorous variety. Japanese honeysuckle made its first dash for freedom in the New World along the banks of the Potomac River in 1882. The blame does not lie with plant collectors alone. Japanese honeysuckle was highly recommended for erosion control, and to add beauty to planting sites well into the 20th century."
Whether, 1806 is a North American centric date, as it is the date I have seen in other sources as introduction to N.A., is still a bit of an open question. Sorry for diving into the minutia.
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