Index / Search / Celastrus scandens
§1 Plant
Celastrus scandens L.
vernacular American bittersweet — species · Celastraceae
§2Habit & range
Habit and range
- Growth habit
- Vine
- Duration
- Perennial
- Group
- Dicot
- Family
- Celastraceae R. Br.
- Genus
- Celastrus
§2a
Native status, by region
- CAN Canada Native
- L48 Lower 48 States Native
§2b
County-level range
· 793 counties across 28 states/territories§3Cultivation specs · USDA
Recorded by the USDA Plant Materials Program.
§3a
Tolerances
- Drought
- Medium
- Shade
- Low
- Moisture use
- High
- Fire
- High
- Salinity
- None
- Anaerobic
- None
- CaCO₃
- Medium
- Hedging
- None
§3b
Climate & soil
- Cold tolerance
- -38 °F minimum
- Frost-free days
- 110 min.
- Precipitation
- 30–60 in/yr
- pH range
- 5–7.5
- Root depth
- 18 in min.
- Fertility need
- Medium
- Soil texture
- coarse, medium, fine
§3c
Form & growth
- Growth form
- Thicket Forming
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Lifespan
- Moderate
- Mature height
- 15 ft
- Foliage texture
- Coarse
- Foliage colour
- Green
- Flower colour
- White
- Fruit colour
- Orange
- Fire resistant
- No
- N fixation
- None
- Toxicity
- None
§3d
Reproduction
- Bloom period
- Spring
- Seed abundance
- High
- Seed begins
- Summer
- Seed ends
- Fall
- Spread rate
- Moderate
- Stratify
- Yes
- Seeds / lb
- 26,080
- Propagation
- seed, bare root, container
§3e
Use & availability
- Commercial availability
- Routinely Available
- Nursery stock
- Yes
- Browse palatability
- Low
- Graze palatability
- Low
- Palatable, human
- No
- Protein potential
- Low
- Lumber
- No
- Christmas tree
- No
§4Counties, by state
Recorded in 793 counties across 28 states/territories.
Alabama view state ↗ 7 N ▾
Arkansas view state ↗ 10 N ▾
Delaware view state ↗ 1 N ▾
District of Columbia view state ↗ 1 N ▾
Georgia view state ↗ 5 N ▾
Illinois view state ↗ 93 N ▾
- Adams 17001
- Alexander 17003
- Boone 17007
- Brown 17009
- Bureau 17011
- Calhoun 17013
- Carroll 17015
- Cass 17017
- Champaign 17019
- Christian 17021
- Clark 17023
- Clay 17025
- Clinton 17027
- Coles 17029
- Cook 17031
- Crawford 17033
- Cumberland 17035
- De Witt 17039
- DeKalb 17037
- Douglas 17041
- DuPage 17043
- Edgar 17045
- Effingham 17049
- Fayette 17051
- Franklin 17055
- Fulton 17057
- Gallatin 17059
- Greene 17061
- Grundy 17063
- Hancock 17067
- Henderson 17071
- Iroquois 17075
- Jackson 17077
- Jasper 17079
- Jersey 17083
- Jo Daviess 17085
- Johnson 17087
- Kane 17089
- Kankakee 17091
- Kendall 17093
- Knox 17095
- Lake 17097
- LaSalle 17099
- Lawrence 17101
- Livingston 17105
- Logan 17107
- Macon 17115
- Macoupin 17117
- Madison 17119
- Marion 17121
- Marshall 17123
- Mason 17125
- Massac 17127
- McDonough 17109
- McHenry 17111
- McLean 17113
- Menard 17129
- Mercer 17131
- Monroe 17133
- Montgomery 17135
- Morgan 17137
- Moultrie 17139
- Ogle 17141
- Peoria 17143
- Perry 17145
- Piatt 17147
- Pike 17149
- Pope 17151
- Pulaski 17153
- Putnam 17155
- Randolph 17157
- Richland 17159
- Rock Island 17161
- Sangamon 17167
- Schuyler 17169
- Scott 17171
- Shelby 17173
- St. Clair 17163
- Stark 17175
- Stephenson 17177
- Tazewell 17179
- Union 17181
- Vermilion 17183
- Wabash 17185
- Warren 17187
- Washington 17189
- Wayne 17191
- White 17193
- Whiteside 17195
- Will 17197
- Williamson 17199
- Winnebago 17201
- Woodford 17203
Indiana view state ↗ 82 N ▾
- Adams 18001
- Allen 18003
- Bartholomew 18005
- Blackford 18009
- Boone 18011
- Brown 18013
- Carroll 18015
- Cass 18017
- Clark 18019
- Clinton 18023
- Crawford 18025
- Daviess 18027
- Dearborn 18029
- Decatur 18031
- DeKalb 18033
- Delaware 18035
- Dubois 18037
- Elkhart 18039
- Fayette 18041
- Floyd 18043
- Fountain 18045
- Franklin 18047
- Fulton 18049
- Gibson 18051
- Grant 18053
- Greene 18055
- Harrison 18061
- Henry 18065
- Howard 18067
- Huntington 18069
- Jackson 18071
- Jasper 18073
- Jay 18075
- Jefferson 18077
- Jennings 18079
- Johnson 18081
- Knox 18083
- Kosciusko 18085
- Lagrange 18087
- Lake 18089
- LaPorte 18091
- Lawrence 18093
- Marion 18097
- Marshall 18099
- Martin 18101
- Miami 18103
- Monroe 18105
- Montgomery 18107
- Morgan 18109
- Newton 18111
- Noble 18113
- Orange 18117
- Owen 18119
- Parke 18121
- Perry 18123
- Pike 18125
- Porter 18127
- Posey 18129
- Pulaski 18131
- Putnam 18133
- Ripley 18137
- Scott 18143
- Shelby 18145
- Spencer 18147
- St. Joseph 18141
- Steuben 18151
- Sullivan 18153
- Switzerland 18155
- Tippecanoe 18157
- Tipton 18159
- Union 18161
- Vanderburgh 18163
- Vermillion 18165
- Vigo 18167
- Wabash 18169
- Warren 18171
- Warrick 18173
- Washington 18175
- Wayne 18177
- Wells 18179
- White 18181
- Whitley 18183
Iowa view state ↗ 14 N ▾
Kansas view state ↗ 63 N ▾
- Allen 20001
- Anderson 20003
- Atchison 20005
- Barber 20007
- Barton 20009
- Bourbon 20011
- Brown 20013
- Butler 20015
- Chase 20017
- Chautauqua 20019
- Cherokee 20021
- Clay 20027
- Cloud 20029
- Coffey 20031
- Cowley 20035
- Crawford 20037
- Dickinson 20041
- Doniphan 20043
- Douglas 20045
- Elk 20049
- Ellis 20051
- Ellsworth 20053
- Franklin 20059
- Geary 20061
- Greenwood 20073
- Jackson 20085
- Jefferson 20087
- Jewell 20089
- Johnson 20091
- Kiowa 20097
- Labette 20099
- Leavenworth 20103
- Lincoln 20105
- Linn 20107
- Lyon 20111
- Marion 20115
- Marshall 20117
- McPherson 20113
- Miami 20121
- Mitchell 20123
- Montgomery 20125
- Morris 20127
- Nemaha 20131
- Neosho 20133
- Osage 20139
- Osborne 20141
- Pottawatomie 20149
- Republic 20157
- Riley 20161
- Rooks 20163
- Russell 20167
- Saline 20169
- Sedgwick 20173
- Shawnee 20177
- Sheridan 20179
- Smith 20183
- Sumner 20191
- Trego 20195
- Wabaunsee 20197
- Washington 20201
- Wilson 20205
- Woodson 20207
- Wyandotte 20209
Kentucky view state ↗ 90 N ▾
- Adair 21001
- Allen 21003
- Anderson 21005
- Barren 21009
- Bath 21011
- Bell 21013
- Boone 21015
- Bourbon 21017
- Boyd 21019
- Boyle 21021
- Bracken 21023
- Breathitt 21025
- Bullitt 21029
- Campbell 21037
- Carlisle 21039
- Carroll 21041
- Carter 21043
- Casey 21045
- Clark 21049
- Cumberland 21057
- Edmonson 21061
- Elliott 21063
- Estill 21065
- Fayette 21067
- Fleming 21069
- Floyd 21071
- Franklin 21073
- Fulton 21075
- Gallatin 21077
- Garrard 21079
- Grant 21081
- Graves 21083
- Greenup 21089
- Hardin 21093
- Harlan 21095
- Harrison 21097
- Henderson 21101
- Henry 21103
- Hickman 21105
- Hopkins 21107
- Jackson 21109
- Jefferson 21111
- Jessamine 21113
- Kenton 21117
- Knott 21119
- Larue 21123
- Laurel 21125
- Lee 21129
- Leslie 21131
- Letcher 21133
- Lewis 21135
- Lincoln 21137
- Livingston 21139
- Madison 21151
- Magoffin 21153
- Marion 21155
- Mason 21161
- McCracken 21145
- McLean 21149
- Meade 21163
- Menifee 21165
- Mercer 21167
- Metcalfe 21169
- Monroe 21171
- Montgomery 21173
- Morgan 21175
- Nelson 21179
- Nicholas 21181
- Oldham 21185
- Owen 21187
- Owsley 21189
- Pendleton 21191
- Perry 21193
- Powell 21197
- Pulaski 21199
- Robertson 21201
- Rockcastle 21203
- Rowan 21205
- Russell 21207
- Scott 21209
- Shelby 21211
- Spencer 21215
- Taylor 21217
- Trimble 21223
- Warren 21227
- Washington 21229
- Wayne 21231
- Webster 21233
- Whitley 21235
- Wolfe 21237
Louisiana view state ↗ 7 N ▾
Maine view state ↗ 12 N ▾
Massachusetts view state ↗ 13 N ▾
Michigan view state ↗ 49 N ▾
- Allegan 26005
- Baraga 26013
- Bay 26017
- Benzie 26019
- Berrien 26021
- Calhoun 26025
- Charlevoix 26029
- Cheboygan 26031
- Chippewa 26033
- Clinton 26037
- Delta 26041
- Emmet 26047
- Genesee 26049
- Grand Traverse 26055
- Houghton 26061
- Huron 26063
- Ingham 26065
- Ionia 26067
- Isabella 26073
- Jackson 26075
- Kalamazoo 26077
- Kent 26081
- Keweenaw 26083
- Lapeer 26087
- Leelanau 26089
- Lenawee 26091
- Livingston 26093
- Mackinac 26097
- Macomb 26099
- Manistee 26101
- Marquette 26103
- Menominee 26109
- Midland 26111
- Monroe 26115
- Montcalm 26117
- Muskegon 26121
- Newaygo 26123
- Oakland 26125
- Oceana 26127
- Ontonagon 26131
- Ottawa 26139
- Saginaw 26145
- Sanilac 26151
- Schoolcraft 26153
- St. Clair 26147
- St. Joseph 26149
- Van Buren 26159
- Washtenaw 26161
- Wayne 26163
Minnesota view state ↗ 60 N ▾
- Aitkin 27001
- Anoka 27003
- Becker 27005
- Beltrami 27007
- Big Stone 27011
- Blue Earth 27013
- Brown 27015
- Carver 27019
- Cass 27021
- Chippewa 27023
- Chisago 27025
- Clay 27027
- Clearwater 27029
- Crow Wing 27035
- Dakota 27037
- Dodge 27039
- Douglas 27041
- Fillmore 27045
- Goodhue 27049
- Hennepin 27053
- Houston 27055
- Hubbard 27057
- Itasca 27061
- Kittson 27069
- Lac qui Parle 27073
- Lake 27075
- Lake of the Woods 27077
- Le Sueur 27079
- Lincoln 27081
- Lyon 27083
- Mahnomen 27087
- Marshall 27089
- Martin 27091
- Meeker 27093
- Mille Lacs 27095
- Morrison 27097
- Nicollet 27103
- Norman 27107
- Olmsted 27109
- Otter Tail 27111
- Pine 27115
- Pipestone 27117
- Polk 27119
- Pope 27121
- Ramsey 27123
- Rice 27131
- Rock 27133
- Roseau 27135
- Sherburne 27141
- St. Louis 27137
- Stearns 27145
- Steele 27147
- Stevens 27149
- Todd 27153
- Wabasha 27157
- Waseca 27161
- Washington 27163
- Winona 27169
- Wright 27171
- Yellow Medicine 27173
Mississippi view state ↗ 9 N ▾
Montana view state ↗ 1 N ▾
New Hampshire view state ↗ 10 N ▾
New Jersey view state ↗ 16 N ▾
New York view state ↗ 41 N ▾
- Albany 36001
- Bronx 36005
- Cattaraugus 36009
- Chautauqua 36013
- Chemung 36015
- Chenango 36017
- Columbia 36021
- Delaware 36025
- Dutchess 36027
- Erie 36029
- Genesee 36037
- Greene 36039
- Kings 36047
- Lewis 36049
- Madison 36053
- Monroe 36055
- Montgomery 36057
- Nassau 36059
- New York 36061
- Niagara 36063
- Onondaga 36067
- Ontario 36069
- Orange 36071
- Orleans 36073
- Oswego 36075
- Putnam 36079
- Queens 36081
- Rensselaer 36083
- Richmond 36085
- Rockland 36087
- Schenectady 36093
- St. Lawrence 36089
- Suffolk 36103
- Tioga 36107
- Tompkins 36109
- Ulster 36111
- Warren 36113
- Washington 36115
- Wayne 36117
- Westchester 36119
- Yates 36123
North Carolina view state ↗ 9 N ▾
Pennsylvania view state ↗ 62 N ▾
- Adams 42001
- Allegheny 42003
- Armstrong 42005
- Beaver 42007
- Bedford 42009
- Berks 42011
- Blair 42013
- Bradford 42015
- Bucks 42017
- Butler 42019
- Cambria 42021
- Cameron 42023
- Carbon 42025
- Centre 42027
- Chester 42029
- Clarion 42031
- Clearfield 42033
- Clinton 42035
- Crawford 42039
- Cumberland 42041
- Dauphin 42043
- Delaware 42045
- Elk 42047
- Erie 42049
- Fayette 42051
- Forest 42053
- Franklin 42055
- Fulton 42057
- Huntingdon 42061
- Indiana 42063
- Jefferson 42065
- Juniata 42067
- Lackawanna 42069
- Lancaster 42071
- Lawrence 42073
- Lebanon 42075
- Lehigh 42077
- Luzerne 42079
- Lycoming 42081
- Mercer 42085
- Monroe 42089
- Montgomery 42091
- Montour 42093
- Northampton 42095
- Northumberland 42097
- Perry 42099
- Philadelphia 42101
- Pike 42103
- Schuylkill 42107
- Snyder 42109
- Somerset 42111
- Sullivan 42113
- Susquehanna 42115
- Tioga 42117
- Union 42119
- Venango 42121
- Warren 42123
- Washington 42125
- Wayne 42127
- Westmoreland 42129
- Wyoming 42131
- York 42133
Rhode Island view state ↗ 4 N ▾
South Carolina view state ↗ 1 N ▾
Tennessee view state ↗ 38 N ▾
- Anderson 47001
- Bledsoe 47007
- Blount 47009
- Carter 47019
- Claiborne 47025
- Crockett 47033
- Cumberland 47035
- Davidson 47037
- Dyer 47045
- Gibson 47053
- Grainger 47057
- Hamblen 47063
- Hancock 47067
- Hardin 47071
- Haywood 47075
- Henry 47079
- Jefferson 47089
- Knox 47093
- Lake 47095
- Lauderdale 47097
- Loudon 47105
- Madison 47113
- Marion 47115
- Monroe 47123
- Montgomery 47125
- Morgan 47129
- Obion 47131
- Rhea 47143
- Roane 47145
- Scott 47151
- Sevier 47155
- Shelby 47157
- Sullivan 47163
- Tipton 47167
- Unicoi 47171
- Union 47173
- Washington 47179
- White 47185
Vermont view state ↗ 12 N ▾
Virginia view state ↗ 50 N ▾
- Accomack 51001
- Albemarle 51003
- Alleghany 51005
- Amherst 51009
- Arlington 51013
- Augusta 51015
- Bedford 51019
- Bland 51021
- Botetourt 51023
- Buckingham 51029
- Campbell 51031
- Caroline 51033
- Carroll 51035
- Chesapeake (city) 51550
- Chesterfield 51041
- Clarke 51043
- Craig 51045
- Fairfax 51059
- Fauquier 51061
- Floyd 51063
- Frederick 51069
- Giles 51071
- Greene 51079
- Isle of Wight 51093
- James City 51095
- Lee 51105
- Loudoun 51107
- Montgomery 51121
- Nelson 51125
- Page 51139
- Prince William 51153
- Pulaski 51155
- Rappahannock 51157
- Roanoke 51161
- Rockbridge 51163
- Rockingham 51165
- Russell 51167
- Scott 51169
- Shenandoah 51171
- Smyth 51173
- Suffolk (city) 51800
- Surry 51181
- Tazewell 51185
- Virginia Beach (city) 51810
- Warren 51187
- Washington 51191
- Westmoreland 51193
- Wise 51195
- Wythe 51197
- York 51199
West Virginia view state ↗ 33 N ▾
- Berkeley 54003
- Braxton 54007
- Brooke 54009
- Cabell 54011
- Calhoun 54013
- Fayette 54019
- Grant 54023
- Greenbrier 54025
- Hampshire 54027
- Hancock 54029
- Hardy 54031
- Jackson 54035
- Jefferson 54037
- Kanawha 54039
- Lewis 54041
- Marion 54049
- Marshall 54051
- Mason 54053
- McDowell 54047
- Mineral 54057
- Monongalia 54061
- Monroe 54063
- Ohio 54069
- Preston 54077
- Raleigh 54081
- Roane 54087
- Summers 54089
- Tyler 54095
- Wayne 54099
- Wetzel 54103
- Wirt 54105
- Wood 54107
- Wyoming 54109
§5Sources & provenance
USDA PLANTS
Symbol, taxonomy, distribution, cultivation specs, native status. Public domain.
plants.usda.gov/CESC ↗GBIF Backbone
Canonical taxonomic identity, synonym resolution, cross-refs. CC0.
gbif.org/species/3169171 ↗Record version
Cached and built locally. Source version on this record:
usda-plants-mt-2026-05-26
fetched 2026-05-26T07:25:30Z