1 / 10

Smilax glauca

sawbrier

Smilacaceae

Eastern and southeastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade – Full Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 5–9

Overview

Smilax glauca is a woody, climbing, semi-evergreen to deciduous vine in the family Smilacaceae, climbing 6-20 feet (1.8-6 m) by means of paired tendrils. The round green stems are armed with scattered, stiff prickles and often carry a whitish, waxy bloom. The alternate, oval to heart-shaped leaves are 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long, green above and conspicuously whitened (glaucous) beneath, which gives the plant its name. Small, greenish-yellow flowers open in spring in rounded clusters, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Female plants bear clusters of round blue-black berries about 0.25 inch (5-7 mm) wide, coated with a pale bloom, that ripen in fall and persist into winter. The vine spreads by thick underground rhizomes and tubers and forms dense, prickly thickets, which can overwhelm shrubs and fences. S. glauca grows in a wide range of woods, thickets, clearings, and disturbed ground, tolerating dry to moist soils and full sun to shade.

Native Range

Native to the eastern and southeastern United States, Smilax glauca ranges from Massachusetts and New York south to Florida and west to Texas, Oklahoma, and Illinois. It grows in dry to moist woodlands, thickets, fencerows, clearings, and disturbed ground.

Suggested Uses

Used in wildlife and naturalized plantings, on fences and arbors where a tough native climber is wanted, and for erosion control on banks. The dense thickets provide cover and nesting sites, and the berries feed many birds and small mammals through winter. Its prickly, spreading habit suits informal barrier plantings rather than tidy gardens.

How to Identify

Look for a prickly, climbing vine with round green stems, often with a whitish waxy coating, and paired tendrils. The oval to heart-shaped leaves are clearly whitened on the underside, the surest mark of this greenbrier. Blue-black berries with a pale bloom hang in rounded clusters on female plants in fall. The glaucous leaf undersides separate it from Smilax rotundifolia, whose leaves are green beneath.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6' - 20'

Width/Spread3' - 10'

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring

Small greenish-yellow flowers open in spring, generally April to June, in rounded stalked clusters. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants, so only female vines fruit. Bees and flies pollinate the flowers, and blue-black berries ripen in fall.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

green, glaucous beneath

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Requires 2-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand loam clay

Drainageaverage

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun to full shade on a wide range of soils, from dry sand to moist loam, across a pH around 5.0-7.0. It is adapted to poor, dry ground and tolerates drought once the deep rhizomes are established. The vine climbs by tendrils and needs a support, fence, or shrub to scramble over. It spreads aggressively by rhizomes and seed, so it is often managed to keep it from smothering other plants. Cutting the stems alone rarely kills it because it resprouts from the rootstock. Repeated cutting or digging out the tubers is needed for control.

Pruning

Stems are cut back at any season to control spread and clear growth from shrubs and structures. Because the plant resprouts from rhizomes and tubers, repeated cutting through the growing season, or digging out the rootstock, is needed to weaken it. The prickly stems make removal slow work.