A Tale of Two Bittersweets

Oriental bittersweet (Celestrus orbiculatus) is one of the most prevalent and troublesome invasive vines in Laurel Park. It is one of two bittersweet species in the genus Celastrus.

C orbiculatus, or Oriental bittersweet, is a non-native invasive that severely threatens the community.

C. scandens, or American Bittersweet, is a native that does not possess the same invasive characteristics as Oriental Bittersweet.

O. Bittersweet is common in Laurel Park and the North Carolina mountains. A. Bittersweet is a native, but rare in our area.

Distinguishing between the two can be difficult, especially if you do not have them in a side-by-side comparison. This document provides information to differentiate between these two species.

Leicht-Young, Stacey A., et al. “Distinguishing Native (Celastrus Scandens L.) and Invasive (C. Orbiculatus Thumb.) Bittersweet Species Using Morphological Characteristics.” The Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society, vol. 134, no. 4, 2007, pp. 441–50. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20063940. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.