Common Moonseed, Yellow Parilla

I've seen it once in awhile in or around the woods in southeast PA. Nice looking foliage. It can be a groundcover or climbing vine. It is...Read More fast growing of about 6 to 10 feet/year, but usually does not get over 12 feet long. Its stems are not greatly woody and are relatively slender. It gets its name of Moonseed from the seeds being shaped like a crescent moon. It can grow in both well-drained or draining wet soils with a pH range of 5 to 7.5. Birds and some mammals eat up the bluish-black globular berries in September to December that have a high wildlife value for them, though they are poisonous to humans, sort of like dogwood fruits. Its native range is from western New England and a little of Canada above that, to eastern North Dakota down to northeast Texas and various spots in the South.

Seem to grow well even in shade - from my observation, in Minnesota this species is strongly connected to river valleys - they seem to be...Read More not found anywhere else. So far I have seen this species in Mississippi River Valley in the south east part of the state and the St. Croix River valley along with one site on the Mississippi north of the suburbs. Frequent planted at the Minnesota Arboretum. In my opinion this species have less interest than other vine species, thus less people buys them and plant them and reports on it. Only wild grapes looks similiar to this species but can be told by the underside.

This woody,deciduous,twining vine reaches a length of from 8 to 15 feet,the round,slender stem has broad slender-stalked leaves which are...Read More from 4 to 8 inches wide,roundish in shape,resembling the leaves of some of the maples and often mistaken for wild grapes.In July the loose clusters of small,yellowish or greenish-white flowers are produced, followed in September by bunches of bluish-black 1-seeded fruit,covered with a bloom and very much resembling grapes.All parts of this vine are HIGHLY TOXIC,MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!