Native Plants

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Thursday - February 05, 2015

From: Akron, OH
Region: Midwest
Topic: Planting, Vines
Title: Will Bittersweet climb on a streetlight pole?
Answered by: Guy Thompson

QUESTION:

Will Bittersweet climb on a streetlight pole, or does it need to be with a tree?

ANSWER:

Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet) climbs by wrapping tendrils around limbs or rough bark of trees in nature. It may climb on a streetlight pole if the pole has a rough surface, e.g., concrete, that it can fasten onto. I would think that it would have trouble on a smooth surface of a metal pole. Check some of the properties of Bittersweet on this web site. Bittersweet plants can be purchased at this site.

From the Image Gallery

American bittersweet
Celastrus scandens