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Smilax rotundifolia
Also called Common greenbrier, Bullbriar, Greenbrier, Horsebriar, Bullbrier, Catbrier, Round Leaved Greenbriar
A thorny, woody climbing vine native to eastern North America that scrambles over other plants with tendrils. Grown mainly for wildlife and naturalistic cover, and it spreads readily, so give it a sturdy support and room.
Smilax rotundifolia, also known as roundleaf greenbrier or common greenbrier, or bamboo vine in parts of the South, is a woody vine native to the southeastern and eastern United States and eastern Canada. It is a common and conspicuous part of the natural forest ecosystems in much of its native range. The leaves are glossy green, petioled, alternate, and circular to heart-shaped. They are generally 5–13 cm long. Common greenbrier climbs other plants using green tendrils growing out of the petioles.
The stems are rounded and green and are armed with sharp spines. The flowers are greenish white, and are produced from April to August. The fruit is a bluish black berry that ripens in September.
The young shoots of common greenbrier are reported to be excellent when cooked like asparagus. The young leaves and tendrils can be prepared like spinach or added directly to salads. Being familiar with eating Smilax is common in the South Carolina Lowcountry, where Smilax is often called 'chaineybriar.' The roots have a natural gelling agent in them that can be extracted and used as a thickening agent.
Smilax rotundifolia is found in the eastern half of the continental United States including Texas, South Dakota, and Oklahoma with the exception of Vermont. It ranges from Florida north into Northern Ontario. Smilax rotundifolia is native to the USA.
Sarsaparilla · Austral Sarsaparilla · Chinese Smilax · Smilax glyciphylla · Laurel greenbrier · Smilax moranensis · Smilax officinalis · Jamaica sarsaparilla · Greenbrier
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Smilax rotundifolia 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.
