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Native Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Smilax bona-nox (Saw greenbrier)
Marcus, Joseph A.

Smilax bona-nox L.

Saw greenbrier, Catbrier, Bullbrier

Smilacaceae (Greenbrier Family)

USDA Symbol: SMBO2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

A prickly vine forming dense tangles in shrubby and wooded areas. Stems smooth, green, with stout, sharp prickles on the lower sections. Leaves with tendril-bearing petioles; blades up to 4 1/2 inches long and 4 inches wide, varying from triangular to heart shaped, often with a broad lobe on each side, firm textured and occasionally mottled on the upper surface, persisting into winter. Flowers small, rather inconspicuous, in clusters arising from the axils of the leaves, male and female on different plants, appearing from March to June. Fruit spherical, l/4 inch in diameter, fleshy, black.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Vine
Leaf Retention: Evergreen , Semi-evergreen
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Ovate
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Dioecious
Size Notes: Can grow into the tops of trees.
Leaf: Green
Flower:
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Green
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , DE , FL , GA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MD , MO , MS , NC , NJ , OK , SC , TN , TX , VA
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Drought Tolerance: High
Heat Tolerant: yes

Benefit

Use Wildlife: The fruits of saw greenbrier are eaten by wood ducks, ruffed grouse, wild turkeys, fish crows, black bears, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, and many species of songbirds. White-tailed deer browse the foliage. Provides cover for small animals and birds.
Use Other: The seeds are animal dispersed and can be carried long distances by birds.
Attracts: Birds
Deer Resistant: No

Mr. Smarty Plants says

Removal of bramble under live oaks and replacing with groundcover
September 26, 2007
We have several large live oaks on the front of our 12 acre property in Hockley, Texas. Under and around each oak is an extensive amount of bramble which we would like to remove so that we can enjoy ...
view the full question and answer

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Pineywoods Native Plant Center - Nacogdoches, TX
Brackenridge Field Laboratory - Austin, TX
Patsy Glenn Refuge - Wimberley, TX
Nueces River Authority - Uvalde, TX
Stengl Biological Research Station - Smithville, TX
Texas Master Naturalists - Lost Pines Chapter - Bastrop, TX
Jacob's Well Natural Area - Wimberley, TX

Wildflower Center Seed Bank

LBJWC-65 Collected 2006-06-21 in Travis County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Bibliography

Bibref 293 - Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas (1979) Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston
Bibref 354 - Native & Naturalized Woody Plants of Austin & the Hill Country (1981) Lynch, D.

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Smilax bona-nox in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Smilax bona-nox in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Smilax bona-nox

Metadata

Record Modified: 2010-11-27
Research By: TWC Staff

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