woodland vine

American bittersweet

Celastrus scandens

Native to much of the USA and southern Canada

Quebec to Manitoba and eastern Montana, south to Georgia and Alabama mountains, Texas and Wyoming

Light Full sun to shade Sun tolerance
Moisture Dry to moist Moisture preference
Zones 3–8 Cold to heat range
Bloom May–Jun Flowering time
Height up to 50 ft to 15.2 m
Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial

In the garden

A woodland vine for sun through shade and dry to moist soil. At up to 50 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. It shrugs off drought once established. Hardy in USDA zones 3–8.

Growing conditions

Light

Full sun Partial shade Full shade

Moisture

Dry Moist Wet

Hardiness zones

Find your zone:

Pollinators & wildlife

Bees Orange-legged Furrow Bee

also Agapostemon texanus, Cresson's Mining Bee, Alumroot Cellophane Bee +9 more
Experienced Sweat Bee, Andrena nigrae, Goatsbeard Miner Bee, Early Mining Bee, Coelioxys alternata, Eastern Cuckoo Sweat Bee, Truncate Sweat Bee, Augochlora feronia, Dilated-horned Small-Mason
Beetles Bean Weevil also Typocerus badius
Flower flies grasshopper bee fly also Sphaerophoria cylindricus

Full plant details

Where it grows

Habitat: WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
Native range: Much of the USA and southern CanadaUnited States (39): AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Canada (4): MB, NB, ON, QC. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
Native distribution: Quebec to Manitoba and eastern Montana, south to Georgia and Alabama mountains, Texas and WyomingThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.

Growing conditions

Light: Full sun to shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
Moisture: Dry to moistThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
Hardiness zones: USDA 3–8 · Canadian 3–7The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
Soil: Well-drained soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
Soil texture: Light to heavy (sandy to clay)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
Soil pH: 5.0–7.5The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
Soil quality: MediumHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
Water use: HighHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
Drought tolerance: HighRelative to plants of the same type and region, inferred from where it grows, not a days-without-water figure.
Salinity tolerance: NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance: MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.

Growth & form

Height: up to 50 ft (to 15.2 m)Typical mature height.
Life cycle: PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
Growth rate: RapidA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
Shape: ColumnarIts overall silhouette.
Root depth: 18+ in (46+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.

Flowers, foliage & fruit

Type: VineWhat kind of plant it is.
Bloom: May–JunWhen it flowers.
Flower color: Yellow, Green, BrownThe bloom color, or colors.
Toxicity: Poisonous if eatenWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.

Propagation & seed

Cold stratification: Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
Propagation: Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
Seed: ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
Seed spread rate: ModerateHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
Seedling vigor: MediumHow strongly young seedlings establish.
Vegetative spread: RapidWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.