Smilax sieboldii is a thorny climbing greenbrier native to East Asia — Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. It does not grow wild in the US and is little known in gardens. Its black berries and straight, slender prickles set it apart from its relative East Asian greenbrier (Smilax china), which has red berries.
Appearance
- Appearance
- Stems are round or slightly ridged with slender prickles; the branches are distinctly angled.
- Growth form
- A deciduous or partly evergreen climbing vine whose stems can reach about 16 ft (5 m).
- Leaves
- Ovate leaves about 2–5½ in (5–14 cm) long with a heart-shaped base, a long fine tip, finely toothed edges, and five or seven main veins.
- Flowers
- Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. Small green flowers form little umbrella-shaped clusters of four to seven.
- Fruit
- Round black berries about ¼–⅓ in (7–9 mm) across, often in threes, ripening in fall.
Look-alikes
East Asian greenbrierSmilax china
Smilax sieboldii has black berries and pointed leaf tips. East Asian greenbrier has red berries and leaf tips that are often notched.
Why they get mixed upBoth are prickly East Asian greenbriers that grow in the same countries.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Forest edges
- Mountain slopes
- Range
- Native to Japan, Korea, China, and Taiwan. Not found in the wild in the US.
Growing it
- Care
- It was introduced to Western gardens in 1908 or a little earlier, but has stayed a little-known plant in cultivation.
More species to explore
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