SARSAPARILLA VINE

—EDIBLE RHIZOMES:  “Roots used to flavor root beer and other beverages.” [4] 
—MEDICINAL RHIZOMES:  “Rhizomes used to treat rheumatism.” [4]  

—NATIVE TO:  Texas to Arkansas to South Carolina, south to Florida.  Here in Florida, it ranges from Charlotte County northward. 
—HABITAT:  Mesic and xeric woodlands, upland mixed forests, pine forests, pine flatwoods, oak woods, dryish, sandy woodlands, bluffs, sandhills, low nutrient soils. 
—DESCRIPTION:  “Low growing, trailing, dioecious, spineless perennial woody vine. Virtually thornless. [4]
- HEIGHT: “Normally 6 inches on the ground, but can climb to 18 [to 36] inches.” [4] 
- LEAVES: Alternate, evergreen, greenish above, lighter and pubescent below, mottled in two shades of green [medium green and whitish green], reddish tinge in winter.  Leaf petioles hairy.  Blades ovate, somewhat heart-shaped at the base, three-nerved. 
- FLOWERS: Flower clusters yellowish green, in leaf axils, unisexual and dioecious, appearing in the fall. [June – August].“ [1] 
- FRUITS: Mature berries bright red to orange, glossy, egg-shaped, in clusters 1-2 inches wide, appearing in winter. 
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS FROM OTHER WILD SMILAX IN FLORIDA: “The shaggy pubescence along stems, petioles, and the lower leaf surface sets this species apart from the others. The stems lack prickles and typically trail along the ground. The red berries have a tapered apex, whereas the berries on S. walteri are round.” [6]
—WILDLIFE:  Fruits are eaten by mammals and birds. 
—CULTURE:
- HARDINESS:  USDA zones 8-9. 
- SOIL:  Prefers poor, dry, sandy, well-drained soil. 
- WATER:  High drought tolerance. 
- GROUNDCOVER:  Due to its virtual spinelessness it “safe to use as a low-growing and low-climbing evergreen groundcover in dry, partly shaded areas of the Southeast.” [4]  It "is virtually thornless, so it is safe to use as a low-growing and low-climbing evergreen groundcover in dry, partly shaded areas." [4]
- NOTES: Ornamental.