Friday, November 11, 2022

Oriental Bittersweet in Winter

Oriental bittersweet fruits on bare winter vines twining around a shrubby host.
The yellow capsules and scarlet arils of Oriental Bittersweet stand out in winter.

Oriental, Asian or Asiatic Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is an introduced vine that can girdle or smother its hosts. Efforts to remove this invasive plant are complicated by its similarity to native American Bittersweet (C. scandens).

Fortunately, mature female vines of each species are noticeably different, especially in fall and winter. Open this updated post from January 2021 to learn how to tell them apart. A two-page ID guide is free to download. 

Plant Profile: Virginia Waterleaf

Hydrophyllum virginianum Virginia waterleaf flowers in May and early June with purple to almost white flowers. Early in the season, the leav...