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Name That Plant!

Non flowering woodland vine - ID please!

13 years ago

There is a patch of vine on the edge of the woodland. It is located at the top of an incline and is growing through past seasons oak leaves. The tallest vine growing straight up is over 5 feet high. The vine that is twining is only twing around the same type of vine. The vine is not growing around any of the surrounding trees, bushes, etc. This is a partially sunny spot that also has some wind. The leaves are a deep green with the underside a lighter green.The leave's veins are clearly seen with the eye. The leaf is rounded close to the stem but the tip comes to a narrow point.The leaf is soft but not what I would call smooth to the touch. The vine is thicker closer to the ground in the more mature plants. They also are speckled with white dots that are slightly raised. (The unspeckled part of the vine is very smooth to the touch.)The dots are seen more clearly in the more mature (thicker) vines. I am fascinated with this plant particulary with the way it sways in the wind and only twines around like plants.The plants are growing within a clearing of oak/maple/pine trees. There are some mushrooms growing near the plant. Any assistance in identifying this plant would be much appreciated!! (I cannot post a picture - sorry!)

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Comments (2)

hortster
13 years ago
Without pictures this is kinda the proverbial needle in a haystack. You might google American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) and start there.
hortster
weedwoman
13 years ago
Or take a look at Wisteria. That's the only one I can think of that might grow straight up 5' without something to support it, and even that seems unlikely. It does have speckled stems. How thick are the thickest stems? Could it have started out growing around a small tree or something that has since died?

Keep an eye on it for flowers or fruit/pods/seeds - like hortster says, without a picture that description fits an awfully lot of plants. Although if it's wisteria and it's in a shady spot it won't flower.

WW

Here is a link that might be useful: Wisteria
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