Smilax herbacea (Carrion Flower) – Identification
Q: In early October at Ft. Mountain State Park I saw the most beautiful berry clusters on a vine in a tree near the picnic tables.
The clusters look like tiny blueberries. The vines had what looked like small grape leaves.
A: My multi-talented (faux painting artist, garden designer, native plant expert) friend Shannon Pable says it is smooth carrion flower, Smilax herbacea.
The flowers smell like a dead animal. This attracts flies, which are the major pollinator. Pollination is important because plants are either male or female (dioecious); female plants produce blue-black berries.
Most smilax vines are horribly thorny but this one is not.
See:
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1
Kudzu Bugs – Preferred Plants/How To Trap
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2
Burford Hollies- Pruning
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3
Sweetgum – Eliminating Balls
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4
Hickory- Dropping Nuts and Leaves
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5
Cherry – Leaf Spot Disease
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1
Moss – How to Grow
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2
Gerber Daisies- Growth
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3
Scale
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4
Fescue – Late Planting
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5
Rose – General Care
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