Taxon: Celastrus scandens L.

Summary

Genus:

Celastrus

Family:

Celastraceae

Subfamily:

Celastroideae

Nomen number:

9727

Place of publication:

Sp. pl. 1:196. 1753

Typification:

View in Linnean Typification Project

Verified:

12/11/1986 ARS Systematic Botanists.

Accessions:

14 (12 active, 7 available) in National Plant Germplasm System. (Map it)

Other conspecific taxa

Autonyms (not in current use), synonyms and invalid designations

Images (3 total. Click on image for more.)

Conservation Status

Reference(s)

Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Brown, R. G. & M. L. Brown. 1972. Woody plants of Maryland
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Dorn, R. D. 1977. Manual of the vascular plants of Wyoming
Dorn, R. D. 1984. Vascular plants of Montana
Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Duncan, W. H. & J. T. Kartesz. 1981. Vascular flora of Georgia: an annotated checklist.
Eilers, L. J. & D. M. Roosa. 1994. The vascular plants of Iowa
Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2
Hou, D. 1955. A revision of the genus Celastrus. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 42:240-242.
Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Krüssmann, G. 1984. Manual of cultivated broad-leaved trees and shrubs (English translation of Handbuch der Laubgehölze. 1976)
Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Mitchell, R. S., ed. 1986. A checklist of New York state plants. New York State Mus. Bull. 458
Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
Ownbey, G. B. & T. Morley. 1991. Vascular plants of Minnesota: a checklist and atlas
Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
Rehder, A. 1949. Bibliography of cultivated trees and shrubs.
Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
Seymour, F. 1969. The flora of New England.
Smith, E. B. 1978. An atlas and annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas
Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.
Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2.
Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
Wherry, E. T. et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania.
Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).
2018. Oklahoma vascular plant database

Common names

Language	Name	seq	Citation
English	American bittersweet	1	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
English	staffvine	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
English	waxwork	1	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Swedish	amerikansk träddödare	2	Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)

Distribution

order_code	Status	Continent	Subcontinent	Country	State	Note	Reference
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Ontario		Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1	Native	Northern America	Eastern Canada	Canada	Québec	s.	Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Illinois
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Iowa		Eilers, L. J. & D. M. Roosa. 1994. The vascular plants of Iowa
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Kansas		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Minnesota		Ownbey, G. B. & T. Morley. 1991. Vascular plants of Minnesota: a checklist and atlas
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Missouri		Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Nebraska		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	North Dakota		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Oklahoma		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	South Dakota		McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
1	Native	Northern America	North-Central U.S.A.	United States	Wisconsin
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Connecticut
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Indiana
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maine
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Massachusetts
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Michigan		Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Hampshire
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New Jersey
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	New York
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Ohio		Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Pennsylvania		Wherry, E. T. et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania.
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Rhode Island
1	Native	Northern America	Northeastern U.S.A.	United States	Vermont
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Montana	e.	Dorn, R. D. 1984. Vascular plants of Montana
1	Native	Northern America	Northwestern U.S.A.	United States	Wyoming	e.	Dorn, R. D. 1977. Manual of the vascular plants of Wyoming
1	Native	Northern America	South-Central U.S.A.	United States	Texas		Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Alabama	n.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Arkansas		Smith, E. B. 1978. An atlas and annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Delaware
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Georgia	n.	Duncan, W. H. & J. T. Kartesz. 1981. Vascular flora of Georgia: an annotated checklist.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Kentucky
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Maryland		Brown, R. G. & M. L. Brown. 1972. Woody plants of Maryland
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Mississippi	n.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	North Carolina	w.	Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	South Carolina		Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Tennessee		Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).
1	Native	Northern America	Southeastern U.S.A.	United States	Virginia
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Manitoba	s.	Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
1	Native	Northern America	Western Canada	Canada	Saskatchewan	s.e.	Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
2	Cultivated					also cult.

Native
Northern America

EASTERN CANADA: Canada [Ontario, Québec (s.)]
WESTERN CANADA: Canada [Manitoba (s.), Saskatchewan (s.e.)]
NORTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Connecticut, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont]
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin]
NORTHWESTERN U.S.A.: United States [Montana (e.), Wyoming (e.)]
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.A.: United States [Alabama (n.), Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia (n.), Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi (n.), North Carolina (w.), South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia]
SOUTH-CENTRAL U.S.A.: United States [Texas]

Cultivated (also cult.)

Reference(s)

Brown, R. G. & M. L. Brown. 1972. Woody plants of Maryland
Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas
Dorn, R. D. 1977. Manual of the vascular plants of Wyoming
Dorn, R. D. 1984. Vascular plants of Montana
Duncan, W. H. & J. T. Kartesz. 1981. Vascular flora of Georgia: an annotated checklist.
Eilers, L. J. & D. M. Roosa. 1994. The vascular plants of Iowa
McGregor, R. L. et al. (The Great Plains Flora Association). 1986. Flora of the Great Plains.
Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967-. The vascular flora of Ohio.
Ownbey, G. B. & T. Morley. 1991. Vascular plants of Minnesota: a checklist and atlas
Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas.
Scoggan, H. J. 1978-1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol.
Smith, E. B. 1978. An atlas and annotated list of the vascular plants of Arkansas
Steyermark, J. A. 1977. Flora of Missouri.
Voss, E. 1972-. Michigan flora.
Wherry, E. T. et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania.
Wofford, B. E. Database of Tennessee vascular plants (on-line resource).

Economic Uses

Usage	Type	Reference
Environmental	ornamental	Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Environmental	ornamental	Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening
Medicines	folklore	Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicines	folklore	McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisons	mammals	Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous

Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=9727. Accessed 15 April 2026.