| General Description | C. orbiculatus is a deciduous, weedy, vine with bright autumn foliage. It has glossy, deep green leaves and small white or green flowers that turn to vibrant red berries in fall. The colour is accompanied by beautifully striated bark that can get nearly 10 cm thick. It’s a mainly terrestrial plant but will climb an excess of 12.2 meters when given the chance, putting nearby trees and shrubs at risk of being choked to death. |
| ID Characteristic | While C. orbiculatus bares a resemblance to C. scandens, the key differences are the obovate leaves and the fruit of C. orbiculatus grow in the leaf axils instead of the ends of the stems. |
| Shape | Terrestrial vine, occasionally arboreal. It can grow into a vaguely shrub-like shape but it doesn’t occur often naturally. |
| Landscape | This plant is extremely invasive in several regions of North America, often labeled to be killed on sight. The oriental bittersweet is primarily used in woodland and forest restoration due to its fast growth and adaptable nature. Otherwise, it’s used best as an ornamental for the bright fall fruit and foliage and makes a wonderful addition to woodland or naturalized gardens. |
| Propagation | When starting from seed, they should be started in a warm greenhouse in fall, grown through winter, and planted when they’re big enough to handle between late spring and early summer after the last frost. This plant will self propagate by suckering roots to create a colony and support the extension of the vine. Propagation by cutting should be easy, simply take the piece and keep it in a warm greenhouse in well-drained but moist soil until it has sufficiently rooted. |
| Cultivation | Grows best in full sun and well-drained soils but is adaptable to poor nutrient soils, aiding in its invasive nature. A high maintenance plant when grown ornamentally, but doesn’t have strict nutrient, pH, or watering requirements. |
| Pests | This plant is relatively pest and disease free and very tolerant of wildlife such as deer and rabbits. However, in some habitats it’s exposed to damage from two-marked treehoppers and euonymus scale. |
| Habitat | This plant is native to East Asia, primarily Korea, China, and Japan. It grows on forest edges, on roadsides, in disturbed environments like abandoned properties, and anywhere it can get full sun. |
| Bark/Stem Description | The bark ranges from a reddish brown to dark brown with striated or plated bark. |
| Leaf Description | The leaves are a glossy, vibrant green, obovate, simple with a crenate-serrate edge, and grow alternate to each other. They grow to be between 5.1 cm to 12.7 cm in length with a similar width and In the fall, they turn a beautifully soft yellow |
| Flower Description | The flowers are small and insignificant, ranging from a light green to white colour and growing in clusters of 3 to 9. |
| Fruit Description | The fruit of C. orbiculatus are small and first emerge as light green. The berry casing becomes a stunning yellow by fall and splits to reveal very showy red berries that hold on into the beginnings of winter. The fruit grows in the leaf axils rather than off the ends of the stems. |
| Colour Description | Vibrant green leaves that turn soft yellow in fall alongside showy red berries with golden seed casings that open in the fall and persist through winter. |
| Texture Description | Medium. |