Saw greenbrier is a prickly flowering native vine in the Smilacaceae (smilax) family. It grows in full sun to partial shade and prefers moist soils though it tolerates a wide range of soils including dry and overly wet, sandy, to rocky to high organic content. This species often found in woodlands or disturbed areas and it can grown into the tops of tree canopies. Individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required. It can be very weedy. It is resistant to many herbicides and it has a persistent woody rhizome which may make it difficult to manage. Consider planting a less problematic plant. It makes for an interesting houseplant. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight) | Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasional Flooding | Occasionally Dry
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Spreading
Foliage
Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green; Variegated; White
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Deltoid
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Edible
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The thick leaves often have a pair of lobes at the base and often have prickly margins. They are green, mottled with white.
Flower color
Green; Insignificant; White
Flower form
Insignificant; Umbel
Flower detail
Male and female flower on different plants appearing from March-June. Flowers are small and appear in the axils of leaves though are inconspicuous.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Edible
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
One-seeded drupes are eaten by birds and help with dispersal. The fruits look like clusters of small grapes.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Green
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Upper stems are smooth lower stems have prickles and are hairy.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central and Eastern U.S.A., Mexico
Distribution
Delaware south to Florida, west to Kansas and Texas, north to Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and in parts of Bermuda, Mexico
Wildlife value
Fruits are eaten by wood ducks, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, fish crows, black bears, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and songbirds. Deer browse the leaves. It also provides cover for birds and small animals.
Attracts
Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit; Roots; Shoots
Harvest time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Cooked roots can be ground into a powder and made into gelatine. Young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans used leaves as cigarette wrappers, roots to treat urinary infections and to make bread.