Smilax rotundifolia
A native eastern North American perennial vine with round leaves and thorny, climbing stems that uses tendrils for support and bears blue-black berries in fall, with dioecious flowers requiring both sexes for seed production.
Common Names
Roundleaf Greenbrier, Common Greenbrier
Summary
Smilax rotundifolia is a native woody vine that climbs by tendrils and often forms dense, thorny thickets; leaves are glossy, ovate to heart-shaped with 3–5 prominent veins, and flowers are greenish-yellow followed by blue-black berries that ripen in fall, its habitat spans moist woods, thickets, and roadsides, tolerating sun to semi-shade and moist to dryish soils; hardy in USDA zones 4–9, propagation occurs by seeds and rhizomes, with division also possible; young shoots are edible and roots can be used as a gelling agent, wildlife relies on berries for food, and the dense growth provides cover, though density can be a nuisance in cultivated spaces, earning status as an obnoxious pest in parts of America
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
16.5-19.5 feet
Spread
360-480 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 4-9
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full Sun; tolerates partial sun or partial shade.
Soil Type
Moist, loamy, slightly acidic, well-drained soil
Soil Drainage
Moist, well-drained soil (moderately moist but not waterlogged)
Soil pH
5.0-6.0
Bloom Color
Greenish white
Bloom Time
Spring to Summer
Foliage Color
Green (glossy green)
Fall Foliage Color
Green
Leaf Lifecycle
Semi-deciduous
Growth Rate
Rapid growth
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Division, Cuttings
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts bees, butterflies, and birds
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- L.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl. : 1030 (1753)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Liliales
- Family
- Smilacaceae
- Genus
- Smilax
Synonyms
Smilax deltifolia Smilax caduca Smilax quadrangularis Smilax platoplis Smilax sprengelii Smilax tetragona Smilax engelmanniana Smilax rotundifolia var. crenulata Smilax rotundifolia var. caduca Smilax rotundifolia var. sprengelii Smilax rotundifolia var. parviflora Smilax rotundifolia var. missourensis Smilax rotundifolia var. engelmanniana Smilax deltifolia var. compressa Smilax ciliata Smilax rotundifolia var. quadrangularis