This plant is problematic and alternatives should be considered. Please see the suggestions in the left-hand column. Asian bittersweet, an invasive species in North Carolina, is a woody, deciduous, twining vine that can rapidly reach 30 to 60 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide. It is in the bittersweet family (Celastraceae) and was introduced from Southeast Asia around 1860 as an ornamental vine. The species epithet is Latin for “orbicular” and refers to the shape of the nectary in the flower. Asian bittersweet is found primarily along forest edges, roadsides and meadows in full sun to partial shade and can be difficult to manage. Its seeds are spread by birds and mammals. Cutting or pulling the vine alone does not work because cutting stimulates it to re-sprout ten-fold, and any broken-off piece of root will re-grow. In the home landscape, cut the vines back to the ground and immediately treat the cut stem with herbicide. This species might be confused with the native climbing bittersweet ( Celastrus scandens ), but the native species has leaves that taper to a point at the tip. The tips of the leaves of Asian bittersweet are rounded. The invasive species will readily hybridize with our native bittersweet, endangering the genetic integrity of this plant. This plant should not be used in the landscape. Please consider a less problematic plant; suggestions appear in the left sidebar. Quick ID Hints : Leaves are generally round and broad (not pointed at the tip). Flowers are not showy, found in small clusters in the leaf axils with green narrow petals. Fruits are clusters of red capsules with yellow casing. Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems : It is listed as an invasive species by the NC State Weed Specialist, North Carolina Forest Service, the NC Invasive Plant Council and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States. It is a Class C noxious weed in North Carolina.
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.
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; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 60 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
6 - Vine (vertical)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Climbing; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Orbicular; Ovate
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Simple, alternate 2"-5" long and 1 1/2"-3" wide. Round to oval and glossy with round or tapered tips and rounded toothed margins. The veins on the undersides may have sparse hairs and the petiole is 3/4" long. Olive green in spring and summer, light yellow fall foliage.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Green
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower shape
Star
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Diecious - male and female flowers on separate plants. Flowers are green with 5 petals and not showy.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit detail
Clusters of small capsules start out green but turn yellow and split to reveal a scarlet, fleshy, berry-like fruit that has three sections each with 2 white seeds, mature between August and January.
Bark color
Dark Brown; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
Red-brown to gray bark with white lenticles. As the vine matures the bark gets more rough.
Stem detail
Brown, gray
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Russian Far East, China, Korea, Central & S. Japan