Celastraceae

American bittersweet

Celastrus scandens L.

Family: Celastraceae
Genus: Celastrus

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Common names

By language (10)

Arabic: حرابية خانقة, سلاستروس
Bangla: তেমিঠা
Belarusian: Дрэвагубец
Chinese: 爬藤卫矛
Czech: Jesenec popínavý
Danish: Amerikansk Celaster, Amerikansk Træmorder
English: American bittersweet
Finnish: Amerikankelasköynnös
German: Amerikanischer Baumwürger, Amerikanisches Bittersüss, Kletternder Baumwürger
Spanish: Falsa dulcamara

Synonyms

Celastrus bullatus L.
Euonymus scandens (L.) E.H.L.Krause
Evonymoides scandens (L.) Medik.

Flowers

Flower colour: white (USDA PLANTS Database)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Vine
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native

Photos

Photo: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Illustratedjc, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Ayotte, Gilles, 1948-, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: The Cosmonaut, CC BY-SA 2.5, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Celastrus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.