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Oriental Bittersweet
Celastrus
orbiculatus
 Identification
Oriental bittersweet is a deciduous climbing vine or trailing shrub.
The stems can reach up to four inches in diameter and are light
brown in color. The leaves are glossy and rounded in appearance and
arranged alternately on the stem. The small clusters of greenish
white flowers appear in May or June, emerging from the leaf axils.
The greenish fruits split open to reveal three bright orange/red
seeds upon maturity. Oriental bittersweet is often seen climbing
trees and is easily spotted in early fall, when the brightly colored
seeds are visible.
Origin
Eastern Asia, Korea, China, and Japan
Habitat
Oriental bittersweet often invades open areas that have recently
been disturbed. It grows well in almost any type soil or moisture
content, and is highly shade tolerant. It is often observed climbing
trees in riparian areas and forest edges. Because of its
tolerance to shade, it often moves into forested areas after
becoming established in a nearby open area.
Ecological Threat
Oriental bittersweet is a very dangerous invasive plant because of
its high shade tolerance. It grows well in open areas such as
riparian edges and roadsides. Once established in these open areas,
oriental bittersweet quickly begins to move into nearby forested
areas, climbing trees as it spreads. It kills trees by girdling,
breaking off of branches, shading out the host tree, or causing wind
throw from excessive weight of the climbing vines. It has the
potential to invade high value late succession forests and destroy
them one tree at a time. Because of its aggressive spreading nature
and high shade tolerance, it is considered the worst invasive plant
in the southeast ecologically.
Recommended Native Alternatives
-
American
bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)
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Trumpet
creeper (Campsis radicans)
-
Crossvine (Bignonia
capreolata)
These pages are designed to give the
layperson a general overview of non-native invasive plants commonly
found in the upper Hiwassee River watershed. For more comprehensive
and technical information about a particular species, visit one of
the web sites from our
Links
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