Bittersweet

Description:

Family: Celastraceae 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. Small, greenish flowers are followed by a showy, orange capsule that splits open to expose a crimson aril.

Habitat:

Ontario and Quebec south through the Great Lakes states, New England, and the Southeast to Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Louisiana, and the southeastern edge of the Great Plains. Woodlands; bluffs; stream banks; rocky hillsides; thickets; fence rows ,and roadsides.

Notes:

This was found on Nolan Trails in Newport News VA at 11:00 a.m. on Oct. 20, 2014. It was found in the woods.