photo: Cleveland Metroparks
Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
 Cleveland Metroparks |
 Cleveland Metroparks |
 Cleveland Metroparks |
Form:
Woody, perennial, climbing vine. Stems may reach 6" in diameter. Male and female flowers usually born on separate plants.
Leaves:
Alternate, glossy, and round with an abruptly pointing tip and shallow-toothed margins, 2-5" long.
Flowers:
Small, inconspicuous, 5-petaled, greenish-yellow flowers in clusters of 3-7 at leaf axils. Most plants dioecious.
Fruits & Seeds:
Showy, round capsules, clustered in leaf axils. Green in summer, yellow to orange in fall. Split open at maturity to reveal three red-orange, fleshy fruits, each containing 1 or 2 seeds. Dispersed by birds and small mammals.
Roots:
Spreading underground roots can sprout to form new stems.
Similar Species:
American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) native
Tier 1 - Early Detection/Rapid Response
These species are known to be highly invasive in natural areas, but are not yet widespread in Cleveland Metroparks. With Limited distrabution, immediate action will minimize management cost and long-term ecological impact of these aggressive species.
Action: A GPS point is taken and the Invasive Plant Coordinator should be notified, so the Invasive Plant Management Crew can respond accordingly.
