Oriental Bittersweet vine on a tree

Oriental Bittersweet fruit

Oriental Bittersweet foliage

foliage with blooms

Oriental Bittersweet

Oriental Bittersweet ( Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb.) was introduced in the 1860s as an ornamental and for erosion control. It grows as a vine that girdles and smothers plants and uproots trees due to its weight

Resources

Bugwood Wiki: compiled by  Glenn D. Dreyer, Global Invasive Species Team, The Nature Conservancy. Includes general description, natural history, management/monitoring, links to research, resources and a bibliography. Bugwood is a project developed by the Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health at the University of Georgia.

USDA Plants Database provides extensive information on identification, distribution and occurrence;  habitat types and plant communities throughout the US; regenerative processes; succession habitats; fire ecology, and management considerations.

USDA Plant Species Profiles covers introduction, impacts, provides images and includes additional resources

US Forest Service "Weed of the Week" profile of Oriental Bittersweet gives description, habitat, distribution, ecological impacts and controls.

Contact

Melinda Meddaugh
Agriculture & Food Systems Issue Leader
mm2592@cornell.edu
(845) 292-6180 Ext. 116

Last updated October 20, 2023