Round-Leaved Greenbrier is a deciduous to semi-evergreen woody vine in the greenbrier family. The common greenbrier is most often found in forests with sandy, moist to dry soils, in woodlands, fields, and pond borders, hedgerows, thickets. Climbing or spreading up to 20', this vine will climb adjacent vegetation if available or sprawl along the ground. The species is not self-fertile as 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 spreads primarily by rhizomes and tolerates a wide range of soil types. Thorns up to 1/3" long are found along the stems. They are pale-colored with black tips. Typically, these thorns are broad at the base, flat and straight. Some stems can remain thorn less. Has been qualified for threatened status under Canada's Species at Risk Act. Fire Risk: This plant has a high flammability rating and should not be planted within the defensible space of your home. Select plants with a low flammability rating for the sites nearest your home.
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) | 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; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 3 in. - 20 ft. 6 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Dense
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous; Semi-evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Orbicular; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Edible
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The upper surfaces of the leaves are darker green than the undersides. The leaves are 2-5 inches long, glabrous, rounded, alternate, with 3 to 5 primary veins per leaf. Minute prickles may be present along the lower surface of the veins.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; White
Flower form
Umbel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Greenish-white flowers form in umbels of 3-20 flowers which are individually about 1/4 inch long. This genus is dioecious, with male and female flowers appearing on different plants (i.e. not self-fertile). Each flower hasf 6 yellowish green or green tepals that are joined together at the base. Male flowers have 6 stamens with white anthers. Female flowers have a greenish pistil with 3 short stigmata. The peduncle of each umbel is ½-¾" long.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Berries are blue-black with a whitish bloom at maturity, about ¼" across and round. Each berry contains 1-3 seeds.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Green
Bark detail
The bark of an adult plant is thin and smooth, initially green, turning brown with age.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Sharply 4-angled with many scattered, stiff prickles, climbs with tendrils.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Canada, Central and Southeastern U.S.A.
Distribution
Found in the US east of Texas (but excluding North Dakota, Nebraska, Vermont). It ranges from Florida north into southern Ontario and Nova Scotia.
Wildlife value
Wildlife, both birds and animals, will eat the berries and leaves in the late winter and early spring. Included are the Northern Cardinals, white-throated sparrows, white-tailed deer, and rabbits. It provides protective cover for many birds and small mammals.
Attracts
Bees; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Cover/Habitat; Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Leaves; Roots; Shoots
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Shoots can be cooked like asparagus. The young leaves can be prepared like spinach or added raw to salads. The roots have a natural gelling agent that can be used as a thickening agent. The cooked root is rich in starch and can be dried and ground into a powder for use in cakes and puddings. A soft drink resembling root beer or sarsaparilla can be made from the roots.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Stem prickles have been rubbed on the skin as a counter-irritant to relieve pain, muscle cramps, and twitching. Powdered leaves have been used as dressing on burns, wilted leaves as a poultice on boils. Leaves and stems have been made into a tea for the treatment of rheumatism and stomach problems.