Bittersweet Plant Growing

Bittersweet berries remain on the vines throughout winter.

The deep green foliage and attractive fruit of bittersweet make it a highly attractive addition to the home landscape. American bittersweet grows as a twining vine that reaches up to 20 feet in height. The vines require support from fences, trellises or poles. In fall, bittersweet produces small yellow or orange fruits. These later split open and reveal vivid red berries, which provide an element of interest to the winter garden and attract songbirds to the yard.

Things You'll Need

• Compost
• Spade
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Spread 2 inches of compost over a well-draining garden bed in an area with either full sunlight or full morning sun and afternoon shade. Work the compost into the top 6 inches of soil.

2. Dig a planting hole the same depth as the bittersweet's nursery pot. Dig the whole twice as wide as the plant pot. Space holes 3 feet apart in all directions.

3. Lift the bittersweet seedling out of the pot. Set it in the hole so it is at the same depth it was growing at in the pot. Fill in around the roots with soil and firm the soil surface lightly with your hands.

4. Water the newly planted bittersweet thoroughly, moistening the top 6 inches of soil. Water once weekly thereafter, maintaining the moisture in the soil.

5. Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch around the plants. The mulch prevents weeds while also helping to retain the soil moisture around the bittersweet roots.

Tips & Warnings

• Purchase young, healthy plants from a nursery. Mature plants do not transplant well.

• American bittersweet requires pruning throughout the growing season to maintain its size.

• Oriental bittersweet is an invasive plant that can overtake the garden. Plant only American bittersweet.

References

• University of Missouri Extension: Selecting Landscape Plants: Ornamental Vines
• Grow Native: Celastrus Scandens