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NC Native Plant Society:
Plant Details

Celastrus orbiculatus

Oriental Bittersweet

Scientific Name:

Celastrus orbiculatus

Genus:

Celastrus

Species Epithet:

orbiculatus

Common Name:

Oriental Bittersweet

Plant Type

Woody Vine

Life Cycle

Perennial

Plant Family

Celastraceae (Bittersweet Family)

Native/Alien:

Not Native to US

Invasive Status:

Rank 1 - Severe Threat (*Key)

Size:

36-72 ft.

Bloom Color(s):

Green

Light:

Sun - 6 or more hours of sun per day, Part Shade - 2 to 6 hours of sun per day

Soil Moisture:

Moist

Bloom Time:

May, June

Growing Area:

Mountains

Habitat Description:

Thickets, roadsides, forests; native of Asia. May-Jun; Aug-Sep. C.orbiculatus is grown for its attractive fruits; it has become a noxious weed in much of our area. The first reports of its occurrence in our area appear to be in the 1960’s; it is now much more common than its native relative,

Leaf Arrangement:

Alternate

Leaf Retention:

Deciduous

Leaf Type:

Leaves veined, not needle-like or scale-like

Leaf Form:

Simple

Life Cycle:

Perennial

Wildlife Value:

Not Assigned

Landscape Value:

Not Recommended for home landscapes

State Rank:

(*Key)

Global Rank:

GNR: Unknown (*Key)

State Status:

(*Key)

Vine

Alternate leafed

image

M Baumeister

Close Up of Stem and Forming Berries

image

M Baumeister

Leaves

image

M Baumeister

Fast growing vine with lovely brilliant orange berries, dearly beloved of craftspeople for both the vines and the berries. Let it get up your trees, and it will kill them, winding tightly around the trunk and branches, smothering all in its climb to the sun. It hasn't the little "feet" of ivy, but little spurs that hook onto the roughness of tree bark and keep the vine from sliding down. Not thorns, they won't prick you, just little pointy nubs, just enough to hook onto a rough surface.

Twining vine with alternate, shallowly toothed leaves that often come to an abrupt tip. Stems and roots often orange.

Pisgah National Forest, Buncombe County, NC

The Scientific Name is Celastrus orbiculatus. You will likely hear them called Oriental Bittersweet. This picture shows the Twining vine with alternate, shallowly toothed leaves that often come to an abrupt tip. Stems and roots often orange. of Celastrus orbiculatus

Lisa Lofland Gould

Greenish-yellow flowers.

Forsyth Co. NC

The Scientific Name is Celastrus orbiculatus. You will likely hear them called Oriental Bittersweet. This picture shows the Greenish-yellow flowers. of Celastrus orbiculatus

Lisa Lofland Gould

A tangle of Oriental Bittersweet in fruit.

Forsyth Co., NC

The Scientific Name is Celastrus orbiculatus. You will likely hear them called Oriental Bittersweet. This picture shows the A tangle of Oriental Bittersweet in fruit. of Celastrus orbiculatus

Lisa Lofland Gould

The fruits are yellow-orange capsules which split open to reveal the bright scarlet-red arils.

Washington Co., RI

The Scientific Name is Celastrus orbiculatus. You will likely hear them called Oriental Bittersweet. This picture shows the The fruits are yellow-orange capsules which split open to reveal the bright scarlet-red arils. of Celastrus orbiculatus

Lisa Lofland Gould

The developing yellow-orange fruit (capsules).

Macon Co., NC

The Scientific Name is Celastrus orbiculatus. You will likely hear them called Oriental Bittersweet. This picture shows the The developing yellow-orange fruit (capsules). of Celastrus orbiculatus

Bettina Darveaux

Links:

USDA PLANTS Database Record



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