Name That Plant!Vines Pennsylvania Gardening

What VINE is this?

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Found this growing in my pachysandra in Pittsburgh, zone 6.

Looked special to me, so I pulled it out and gave it a trellis, since it twines.

Thought maybe it was a Hydrangea Vine but after googling it I don't think so, because it doesn't look like they attach themselves to something the same way.

In my photos I tried to show the type of leave, stem and the nature of the vine at the tip.

Thanks for any leads on what it may be.

Adding one more photo of the back of it and shape of young vine. I just stuck it on this trellis moments ago and it is already holding itself up with tendrils.

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Comments (5)

peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
7 years ago
Possibly Celastrus. Were the roots orange?
Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh thanked peren.all Zone 5a Ontario Canada
carol23_gw
7 years ago
Yep. Bittersweet . Too much of it all over .

Hydrangea vine has opposite leaves. your plant has alternate.
Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh thanked carol23_gw
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NHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years ago
Likely the invasive Asian bittersweet, Celastrus orbiculatus. It spreads readily via bird deposited seeds into not only garden areas, but also into woodlands where it damages trees and diplaces native vegetation. I would grab a pair of pliers and pull it.
Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh thanked NHBabs z4b-5a NH
Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
Original Author
7 years ago
YES! Thanks for everyone's time in answering my vine question!
Sue Hughes Zone 6b in Pittsburgh
Original Author
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
Wow I googled Bittersweet like crazy since you guys told me what it was. I did learn that American Bittersweet also has orange roots (source https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_cesc.pdf) and is actually endangered by the Asian Bittersweet. Thanks again for this vine ID everyone!

PS...

And also the location of the berries is a way to tell if it is the Asian or American - on the American berries grow at end of vine, on Oriental the berries grow all along the vine.

and...

1. Leaves mostly oblong-elliptic to ovate, 1.8-2.6 times longer than wide; flowers and fruits 6 or more in panicles (irregularly branching) at the branch tips.Celastrus scandens

2. Leaves mostly obicular to suborbicular or broadly obovate, 1.2-1.7 times longer than wide; flowers and fruits 2-3 in cymes (regularly branching) in the leaf axils below the branch tips. Celastrus orbiculatus