Bushkiller

Cayratia japonica

Bushkiller climbs over other plants and shades them to death. It is found in other southern states but in North Carolina its distribution has been limited to Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and Lexington. It can reproduce through fragments and through its seeds. 

Bushkiller is a vine with long tendrils. Tendrils are formed opposite of leaves. The leaves are compound with 5 leaflets (1 – 3” long) which have serrated margins and are oblong. During the late summer, the plant produces a convex cluster (umbels) of small pinkish flowers.  Berries have 2 or 4 seeds each.  

Fact Sheet: Bushkiller

Photo credit: Robert J. Richardson, North Carolina State University, Bugwood.org

Photo Credits: Robert J. Richardson