Bristly Greenbrier is a climbing, prickly vine that uses tendrils to climb over shrubs or the lower branches of trees. This woody vine spreads vegetatively by rhizomes or by reseeding itself. Habitats include moist deciduous woods, thickets, floodplains, wooded slopes, bluffs, stream and river banks. The species is dioecious, an individual plant is unisexual so both male and female plants must be grown in order to produce seed.
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; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Ascending; Climbing; Dense; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Obovate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Prickly
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are up to 5" long and 4" wide, oval to broadly ovate/obovate, smooth margins (or possibly denticulate, but not visible without magnification), rounded to pointed at the tip, rounded to heart-shaped at the base and hairless. A leaf has 3-7 parallel veins; its upper surface is green, the lower surface is a lighter green. Leaves along the stem have a pair of tendrils at the base of the 3/4" stalk.
Fall color
Insignificant
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Gray/Silver; Green; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Each male has 6 yellow/white/green tepals and 6 stamens. Each female has 5 yellow/grey/green tepals, a single ovary, and a short tripartite style. The ovary is ovoid, shiny, and green.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Black; Blue
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
A berry is about ¼" in diameter, dark blue or black, and contains 1-3 seeds
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Lower stems have straight spines and stiff bristles, while upper stems seldom have spines. Spines and bristles darken to brown or black with age.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
North America
Distribution
Ontario, central and eastern U.S.A., Mexico
Wildlife value
It is insect-pollinated by both bees and flies .Moth caterpillars feed on the leaves. Game birds and songbirds feed on the berries during fall and winter. Black Bears, Raccoons, and other mammals will also eat the berries. White-Tailed Deer may eat the foliage and stems.
Attracts
Bees; Moths; Pollinators; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Young leaves, shoots, and tendrils can be added to salads
Uses (ethnobotany)
The prickles can be rubbed on the skin as a counter-irritant to relieve localized pains, muscle cramps, and twitching. Tea can be made from the leaves and stems for rheumatism and stomach problems. The wilted leaves have been used to treat boils. The crushed root has been used to wash leg ulcers.