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Conservation Science

Conservation Strategy - Conservation by Design

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The Nature Conservancy in Africa - Conservation in Africa

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The Nature Conservancy in South America - Conservation in South America

Oriental (or Asiatic) Bittersweet - Celastrus orbiculatus

bittersweet vine
Bittersweet Berries © John Randall

Oriental bittersweet is listed as a worst weed pest and is found throughout North Carolina.

 

Oriental bittersweet is on the Class C list of noxious weeds in North Carolina and it is illegal to sell or distribute it as a living plant, or as a decorative one.  If you see violations of this law, alert the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (919-733-3610 x246).

 

When bittersweet twines up a tree, it constricts and deforms the trunk. Old vines may be 4 inches in diameter, and their weight may topple trees. The vine's deciduous leaves shade the host, slowing its growth or killing it. Fruit are eaten and dispersed by birds and other wildlife. The vine also spreads by surface runners.

 

Oriental bittersweet is a deciduous, woody perennial vine. In winter, the smooth, gray bark is covered with small bumps.  The glossy leaves, arranged alternately along the stem, are almost round, 1.5 to 2.75 inches long, with an extended point at the end. Greenish flowers emerge at the base of leaf stems along the vine in late August and September. Fruit are red with yellowish green husks. Flowers and fruit of native bittersweet are located at the ends of the vines.