365 urban species. #002: Oriental Bittersweet.

[urbpan]

Oriental Bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus

Adore it for its beauty and admire its ability to thrive, but don't suffer it to live on your property, not if you are ecology minded at all. Oriental bittersweet, cherished for dried arrangements, especially wreaths, is near the top of the list of unwanted invasive species found in northeastern North America. It starts as a tiny green sprout and grows into vines and tendrils many meters long, climbing other plants or man-made objects. It continues to grow for decades, the vines multiplying and thickening, often overwhelming entire trees and crushing them with its bulk. Many birds eat its attractive fruit, and spread its seeds in their droppings. The organism most at risk from the spread of oriental bittersweet is its close relative American bittersweet Celastrus scandens.

Comments

clapping hands

[momomom.livejournal.com]

Yay! What a year we have to look forward to, I love this series already.

[maybethecat.livejournal.com]

very nice pics, i like how vine type plants grow, wrapping around other thins it gives it a pleasing effect

[http://users.livejournal.com/purplebunnie_/]

I've been wondering what the hell that is. Thanx mang!

[apathy.livejournal.com]

i like crazy viney stuff but more along the leafy lines.. like the bogan villia or whatever.. this is neat thoguh.

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

Bittersweet is leafy in summertime, I promise! We're pretty poor of leaves here in New England in January. :(

[apathy.livejournal.com]

ah. hehe.

[cottonmanifesto.livejournal.com]

we don't get bougainvilleas around here - weather is too nasty for them. i LOVE them.

[martianmoons.livejournal.com]

I have seen those vines on trees in second growth/disturbed areas and edge areas, and I see the damage the vines do to the tree trunks. But I had never thought they were bittersweet, they just seemed too massive and tall. Poison ivy vines can get massive, too, of course, but I know what they look like.

Thanks for the education (like so much of your material!) :)