American bittersweet is a rapidly growing twining vine in the Celastraceae (bittersweet) family, native to the southeast. It is best known for its bright red berries and yellow leaves in the fall. and the fruit is also used for dried arrangements. The best fruit display will occur in the full sun though it grows in partial shade. It prefers moist well-drained slightly alkaline sandy soil though it will grow in a wide variety of soils as long as they are not overly wet. Prune the vines back in the early spring to maintain a more compact form. The stems twine around structures or trees and because they are woody they can strangle live supports like trees but they do not often kill their support. If the vine is growing without anything to climb, it will sprawl along the ground appearing more shrublike. These plants are primarily dioecious (separate male and female plants), although some have a few perfect flowers. Female plants need a male pollinator to produce the attractive fruit that is the signature of this vine. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find plants that are labeled as male or female as is done often with holly plants. Generally, one male plant is needed for six to nine female plants. Birds are fond of showy red fruits and they provide a food source through the winter as well as attractive interest in the landscape. The leaves turn an attractive yellow color in the fall. The cut stems with fruits dry beautifully and make lovely arrangements. Plant this large vine along woodland edges, in meadows or use it as a screen giving it a sturdy trellis to climb. This species might be confused with the invasive Asian bittersweet ( Celastrus orbicularis ), but the invasive species has leaves that are rounded at the tip. The tips of the leaves of the native climbing bittersweet taper to a point. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It can be weedy, though it is not as problematic as C. orbiculatus .
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)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12-24 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 25 ft. 0 in. | Width: 2 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Woody vine with alternate, simple, deciduous leaves with finely serrated margins, 2"-4" wide and 1"-2" wide, oblong elliptic, forming a long tapered tip at the top and rounded at the bottom, petioles are 3/4" long. When new leaves emerge in the spring, they have a rolled edge. Attractive yellow fall color.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Green; Orange; White
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers form from May to June in elongated branched clusters at the terminal of new wood side branches. Clusters are about 6" long. Flowers are small (1/4") with 5 greenish-white petals, 5 green sepals. Separate male and female plants, male flowers have 5 yellow stamens, female flowers have a thick style crowned with a scalloped edge stigma in the center, and 5 small, sterile stamens.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Orange; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is round 1/2" diameter, dry three lobed capsule that starts out green turning the outside orange which eventuallly splits exposing red seeds. They appear in fall and persist through winter.
Bark color
Light Gray
Bark detail
Gray bark has lenticles and flaking or peeling on more mature growth. Trunks can reach 2 1/2" in diameter.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Green
Stem detail
New growth is green turing brown/gray and more woody with age.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Central & E. Canada to N. & E. & Central U.S.A
Wildlife value
Birds enjoy the fruits.
Attracts
Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Winter
Fruit type
Capsule
Edibility
Poison
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Meadow; Naturalized Area; Rock Wall; Vertical Spaces; Woodland