American bittersweet is a woody, twining vine that is well-loved by people for its ornamental value, and by wildlife for food and habitat. This vine can grow up to 50 feet if given the proper support, such as a mature tree. It will climb the structures around it including trees and shrubs which may be inhibited and eventually killed through girdling. When it grows in the absence of vertical structures, American bittersweet tends to ramble and form more of a shrub-like shape. This form can be very effective as a groundcover and to cover rocks, tree stumps, and unsightly features. It does great when planted at the base of a fence, wall, or sturdy trellis. This plant produces dark green, oval-shaped leaves and fairly inconspicuous white flowers. This species is dioecious, meaning a single plant is typically either male or female, and the female plants require pollen from a male plant in order to form their iconic orange berries which are well loved by many species of birds. In the fall, the leaves turn yellow and the fruit split open to reveal the fleshy red seed inside, providing stunning fall and winter interest. This plant is visited by bees, ants, and wasps, and it is used as a larval host species by eight species of moths and butterflies.
