Greenbrier berries

Description:

Greenbriar is a tough, woody, high-climbing vine in the Lily family. It spreads aggressively from long, slender rhizomes, which are horizontal, usually underground stems that often send out roots and shoots from the nodes. Along the stems are stout, flattened prickles. The numerous tendrils are used for climbing. The leaves have short petioles (stems) and are hairless and bright green on both sides, with rounded to heart-shaped bases. The flowers are greenish to bronze, and the berries are green when young and blue-black at maturity, each with two or three seeds.

Habitat:

Greenbriar is found trailing over trees, shrubs and fences and in rolling woodlands in Central to East Texas. This was growing in a meadow along the edge of woodland.

Notes:

Often called cat briar because of its thorns, or prickles, Smilax climbs by means of tendrils coming out of the leaf axils. Technically, it is not a vine but a “climbing shrub.” Smilax are usually found in a clump on the ground or in a tree. They provide protection and food for over forty different species of birds. Young roots can be boiled or roasted and are an important part of the diet for deer, and black bears. Rabbits eat the evergreen leaves and vines, leaving a telltale (tell tail?) 45 degree cut. Beavers eat the roots. Smilax also has a long history with man, most famous perhaps for providing sarsaparilla. The roots (actually rhizomes) of several native species can also be processed (requiring more energy than obtained) to produce a dry red powder that can be used as a thickener or to make a juice. Young roots — finger size or smaller — can also be cooked and eaten. While the tips and shoots can be eaten raw a lot of raw ones give some people a stomach ache. Early American settlers made a real root beer from the smilax. They would mix root pulp with molasses and parched corn then allowed it to ferment. One variation is to add sassafras root chips, which gives it more of the soft drink root beer flavor. Francis Peyre Porcher wrote during the Civil War in the 1860’s “The root is mixed with molasses and water in an open tub, a few seeds of parched corn or rice are added, and after a slight fermentation it is seasoned with sassafras.”