This perennial vine is one of the worstinvasive plantson North American soil.
Bittersweet is toxic to humansand toxic to pets.
The vines completely overgrow other plants, so they wont get any sunlight, air, or water.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
On top of it, oriental bittersweet has a very high germination rate of 95%.
Oriental bittersweet also spreads by underground roots.
What Does Oriental Bittersweet Look Like?
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Oriental bittersweet is adeciduous, woody vine that can easily reach up to 100 feet.
The glossy alternate leaves are round, finely toothed, and round or oval in shape with pointed tips.
In May or June, small, greenish-yellow, five-petaled flowers appear in the leaf axils.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The green berries ripen to a bright yellowish-orange in the fall, and the leaves turn yellow.
The roots of oriental bittersweet are deep and have a characteristic bright orange color.
How to Get Rid of Oriental Bittersweet
Small vines can be pulled by hand.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
double-check to remove the entire root because bittersweet can regrow from root segments.
Note that to be effective, this must be done during the growing season.
Then carefully pull the vines out of the tree.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
In that case, cut the vines out of the tree in pieces.
If fresh growth is detected, reapply the herbicide as needed.
How to Tell the Difference Between Oriental vs. American Bittersweet
Not all bittersweet is evil.
Oriental BittersweetThe Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
There is also American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens),which is a highly desirablenative plant.
American bittersweet occurs naturally in the central and eastern United States except in Florida.
Consider yourself lucky when a native bittersweet plant pops up in your garden.
American BittersweetThe Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Unlike oriental bittersweet, American bittersweet has smooth stems and oblong leaves.
Unfortunately, American bittersweet is becoming increasingly rare.
Further endangering it is the fact that oriental bittersweet sometimeshybridizeswith the native species.
Yes, the strong vinesgirdleso tightly around the stems of trees that they are being strangled.
As the vines grow, their sheer weight breaks or uproots the tree.
Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
