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American Bittersweet

Celastrus scandens

In the Carolinas and Georgia, found in forests and woodlands; forest edges and thickets; floodplain and bottomland forests. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Carolinas & Georgia edition What its natural habitat tells you

Poisonous if eaten; vigorous vine

Native to Arkansas. Not suggested for planting. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
20–25 feet
Spread
2–8 feet
Light
Dappled sunlight, Full sun
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Poisonous if eaten; vigorous vine. Poisonous plant parts and woody stems that can strangle supports make this a poor default garden swap. Plant caution source

Hidden from default planting suggestions. Wildlife value and native status remain unchanged.

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous
Bloom
May to June
Fruiting season
August to September

Recorded in 6 Arkansas counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 3

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Forests and woodlands

Forest or woodland where the source does not say how moist or dry.

Floodplain and bottomland forests

Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

6CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including AR

Genus host records with ranges including AR · Celastrus

  • Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
  • Antepione thisoariaVariable Antepione
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Herpetogramma thestealisZigzag Herpetogramma, Subtle-Feathered Grass Moth
  • Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
  • Tetracis cachexiataWhite Slant-Line
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
0BeesSoutheastern regional records
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
6BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Celastrus

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Myadestes townsendiTownsend's Solitaire
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
  • Vireo olivaceusRed-eyed Vireo
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Celastraceae
Hardiness
Zones 3a–8b
Soil pH
Alkaline
Flower color
Green, orange or white
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Forms thickets
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
September
Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Arkansas rankSNR
Global rankG5
AR statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

  • Suckers and forms colonies. USDA PLANTS lists its growth form as thicket forming. USDA PLANTS

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources