Celastrus orbiculatus - Oriental Bittersweet Seeds + FREE Bonsai eBook, NEW

Celastrus, commonly known as staff vine, staff tree or bittersweet is a genus in the Celastraceae family which comprises about 30-40 species of shrubs and vines. They have a wide distribution in East Asia, Australasia, Africa and the Americas. The leaves are alternate and simple ovoid, typically 5–20cm long. The flowers are small, white, pink or greenish, and borne in long panicles; the fruit is a red three-valved berry. The fruit are eaten by frugivorous birds, which disperse the seeds in their droppings. All parts of the plants are poisonous to humans if eaten. In North America, they are known as bittersweet, presumably a result of confusion with the unrelated Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara) by early colonists.

Celastrus orbiculatus is a woody vine. It is commonly called Oriental Bittersweet. Other common names include Chinese Bittersweet, Asian Bittersweet, Round-leaved Bittersweet, and Asiatic Bittersweet. The defining characteristic of the plant is its vines: they are thin, spindly, and have silver to reddish brown bark. They are generally between 1 and 4 cm in diameter.

When Celastrus orbiculatus grows by itself, it forms thickets; when it is near a tree or shrub, the vines twist themselves around the trunk. The encircling vines have been known to strangle the host tree to death. The leaves are round and glossy, 2–12 cm long, have toothed margins and grow in alternate patterns along the vines. Small green flowers produce distinctive red seeds.

The seeds are encased in yellow pods that break open during autumn. This makes an attractive bonsai subject.