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Smilax aristolochiifolia
Also called Mexican Sarsaparilla, Veracruz Sarsaparilla, Gray Sarsaparilla
Smilax aristolochiifolia is a woody, thorny climbing vine native to Mexico and Central America, grown for its medicinal roots and sometimes as a garden climber. It needs a sturdy support and a warm, humid, seasonally dry climate.
Smilax aristolochiifolia, also known as gray sarsaparilla, Mexican sarsaparilla, or sarsaparilla, is a species in the genus Smilax and the family Smilacaceae, native to Mexico and Central America. It is widely used as traditional medicine to treat many symptoms.
Sarsaparilla is common in wooded areas because it uses its tendrils to climb up trees. It is widely found in temperate, swampy and warm areas. Sarsaparilla is also found at high elevations; in Nuevo León, Mexico, it is found at an elevation of 1760 meters, in Oaxaca at 100 meters, in Hacienda San José, Santa Ana at 850 to 1100 meters.
Austral Sarsaparilla · Chinese Smilax · Smilax glyciphylla · Laurel greenbrier · Smilax moranensis · Smilax officinalis · Jamaica sarsaparilla · Roundleaf greenbrier · Greenbrier
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Smilax aristolochiifolia by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.
