Canada Moonseed

Menispermum canadense

Found in moist nutrient-rich forests, especially on floodplains or lower slopes, less commonly in dry calcium-rich forests and woodlands. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

Modest

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height: 8–20 feet
Spread: 3–6 feet
Light: Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

Space about 4.5 ft apart from its recorded spread, about 5 per 100 sq ft. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Menispermum canadense — foliage photograph — no rights reserved · CC0 · Original photograph

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Deciduous
Bloom: May to August
Fruiting season: July to October

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Recorded in 7 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement.

Named place / source context. Shown: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, Georgia, a neighboring state.Trail on Little Kennesaw Mountain., Unidentified in HFC record, undated. Public domain. Source record.

Habitats

Forests and woodlands; floodplain and bottomland forests.

Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there. All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

2CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Menispermum

Euptoieta claudiaVariegated Fritillary, (?)Gulf Fritillary
Plusiodonta compressipalpisMoonseed Moth

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

0BeesSoutheastern regional records

0Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Menispermaceae
Hardiness: Zones 4a–8b
Soil pH: Neutral to alkaline
Flower color: Green or white
Fruit begins: July
Fruit ends: October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “May to August” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Green or white” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 4a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “8–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Dappled sunlight (shade through upper canopy all day); Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
Soil · “Moist; Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
Soil pH · “Neutral to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “3–6 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Moonseed; Yellow Parilla

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNR
Global rank	G5
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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Canada Moonseed

At a glance

Natural habitats

Habitats

Who uses this plant?

Plant details

Conservation status

Will it fit your yard?

Sources

More Menispermum