Smilax walteri Pursh

Coral Greenbrier; Red Bead Greenbrier; Walter's Greenbrier

Vine

Perennial

Vascular

Walter's Greenbrier is a native tardily deciduous woody vine in the Greeenbrier family (Smilacaceae). It grows throughout Alabama. Walter's Greenbrier grows on the margins of sinkhole ponds, sloughs, oxbows, and beaver ponds. It is a high climbing perennial from an elongated woody rhizome. Walter's Greenbrier climbs on shrubs and trees by tendrils. The stems are smooth or armed with prickles. The leaves vary in shape from ovate to hastate, and have an upper surface that is dark green and the underside is lighter green. The berries turn a bright scarlet color and remain on the vines late into the winter. It is one of two native species of Smilax with red fruit. The other species, Dwarf Greenbrier (Smilax pumila Walter), is a low growing evergreen species found in dry areas. It is a much smaller plant with vines usually less than one foot in length.--A. Diamond

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Native

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