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Cat Greenbrier

Smilax glauca

Found in dry forests and woodlands; moist forests; forests and woodlands; floodplain and bottomland forests; hardwood and oak flatwoods; pine flatwoods; prairies and grasslands; roadsides, fields and disturbed ground. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

71
Strong

Native to Mississippi (estimated). How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
About 1 foot
Light
Dappled sunlight, Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Deciduous or semi-evergreen
Bloom
April and June
Fruiting season
Spring to fall

Not yet recorded · Spread

Recorded in 50 Mississippi counties.

Natural habitats

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

1 of 8

Dry forests and woodlands

Forests and open woodlands on dry ridges and slopes, often oak or pine.

Moist forests

Forests on moist but not wet ground, such as rich slopes and ravines.

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.

Hardwood and oak flatwoods

Flat, poorly drained uplands and terraces with oaks, sweetgum and sometimes loblolly pine, wet in winter and dry in summer, but neither a floodplain nor a swamp.

Pine flatwoods

Flat, sandy Coastal Plain pine woodlands, wetter than sandhills and denser than savannas.

Prairies and grasslands

Open, grass-dominated places kept open by fire, grazing or thin soil, from tallgrass prairie to Piedmont prairies.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Mississippi. Shared habitat, not food. 91 animals.

All wildlife of Mississippi

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

21CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Smilax

  • Acrolepiopsis incertellaCarrionflower Moth
  • Amphipyra pyramidoidesMiranda Underwing, Copper Underwing, Copper Amphipyra
  • Callopistria floridensisFlorida Fern Caterpillar
  • Choristoneura parallelaParallel-Banded Leafroller, Spotted Fireworm Moth
  • Cymatophora approximariaLarge Scalloped-Wing, Giant Grey
  • Ephestiodes infimellaReddish Ephestiodes
  • Eutrapela clematariaCurved-Tooth Geometer, Purplish Brown Looper
  • Feniseca tarquiniusHarvester
  • Hedone vibexWhirlabout
  • Lithophane viridipallensPale Green Pinion
Show all 21
  • Norape cretataWhite Flannel Moth
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
  • Phosphila miselioidesSpotted Phosphila
  • Phosphila turbulentaTurbulent Phosphila
  • Phyprosopus callitrichoidesCurved-Line Owlet
  • Proleucoptera smilaciellaGreenbrier Leafminer
  • Pseudogalleria inimicellaInimical Borer
  • Pseudothyris sepulchralisMournful Thyris
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
  • Acrolepiopsis heppneri
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
10BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Smilax

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
11BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

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

  • Bonasa umbellusRuffed Grouse
  • Cardinalis cardinalisNorthern Cardinal
  • Catharus fuscescensVeery
  • Catharus guttatusHermit Thrush
  • Catharus minimus/bicknelliGray-cheeked/Bicknell's Thrush
  • Catharus ustulatusSwainson's Thrush
  • Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
  • Pinicola enucleatorPine Grosbeak
  • Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird
  • Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
Show all 11
  • Vireo solitariusBlue-headed 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
Smilacaceae
Hardiness
Zones 4b–10b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow or green
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Forms thickets
Foliage color
Gray-green
Fruit begins
Spring
Fruit ends
Fall

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

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Cat Sawbrier

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNR
Global rankG5
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

Check this plant against your county, sun and soil moisture. Conditions are checked in your browser.

Choose a county to begin.

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