November 2, 2004
Asiatic Bittersweet, (Oriental Bittersweet),
Celastrus orbiculatus
Branches laden with these beautiful red berries emerging from their
yellow shells quickly became a favorite decorating item for fall
wreaths and flower arrangements after the vine was introduced
to this country from Asia 140 years ago.
Known as "the plant that ate Massachusetts," it climbs
on trees and shrubs, killing them by either strangling them as it
wraps around their trunks, or by shading their crowns from the sun.

Naturalist Peter Alden, in the October 2004 Bird Observer, explains
how Asiatic Bittersweet is spread: "It is spread by birds, in particular
American Robins, which, once rare in winter, now overwinter in the
thousands, feeding on and spreading this far and wide."