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Asian bittersweet Celastraceae Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet play symbol: CEOR7
Leaf: Alternate, simple, ovate to nearly round, 2 to 4 inches long, very often with a blunt tip, finely serrated, somewhat rounded teeth, green above and slightly paler below.
Flower: Inconspicuous, pale yellowish-green, appearing from leaf axils in late spring.
Fruit: Very attractive, capsules in clusters which when open expose a bright red seed surrounded by yellow scales, 1/3 inch across, appear from leaf axils; ripen in the fall and are visible throughout the winter.
Twig: Thin, light brown, with small pointy buds at nearly right angles to the stems; no tendrils or aerial roots present.
Bark: Silvery gray-brown, initially smooth, later corky with diamond-shaped patterns, much later becomes finely scaly.
Form: Climbing vine, with an open, spiraling pattern. Forms dense thickets along fences. Some stems may become several inches in diameter.
 Looks like: American bittersweet - Japanese honeysuckle - supplejack - Dutchman's pipe

Asian bittersweet leaf image
Asian bittersweet flower image
Asian bittersweet fruit image
Asian bittersweet twig image
Asian bittersweet bark image
Asian bittersweet form image
Asian bittersweet map image

Additional Range Information: Celastrus orbiculatus is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information